IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MS80 

(716)  873-4S03 


/1a 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  tttempted  to  obtain  the  best 
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the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


G 


n 


n 


n 


n 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommag6e 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurie  et/ou  peliiculAe 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


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pas  6t6  filmies. 


□    Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplimantaires; 


The< 
toth 


L'institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
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de  cet  exempuire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
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sont  indiquAs  ci-dessous. 


D 
D 
D 
0 
D 


Coloured  pages/ 
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Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagies 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaur6es  et/ou  pellicul6es 

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Pages  dicoiortes,  tachet6es  ou  piqu^es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d6tach6es 


Thai 
poss 
of  th 
filmii 


Origi 
begii 
the  ii 
sion, 
othei 
first 
sion, 
or  ill 


ryjr  Showthrough/ 


D 


Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  in6gale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppl^mentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


I      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I    Includes  supplementary  material/ 

[~n    Only  edition  available/ 


The  I 
shall 
TINL 
whic 

Mapi 
diffe 
entir 
begii 
right 
requ 
metl 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
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This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film6  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

>/ 

12X                             16X                             20X                              24X                             28X                             32X 

The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


L'exemplaire  film6  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
g6n6rosit6  de: 

Bibliothdque  nationale  du  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
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filming  contract  specifications. 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  M  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  netteti  de  l'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimie  sont  film6s  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  •-^>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  oymboie  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  plenches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
film6s  i  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reiTfoduit  en  un  seul  clichd,  il  est  film6  d  partir 
de  I'angle  sup6rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


1 

2 

3 

32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

! 


♦to! 


<r32 


m 


NORTHWARD 

OVER  THE     GREAT  ICE 

yl  Xarrativc  of  Life  and  ITork  along  f/ic 

Shores  (vid  upon  t/ic  Interior  lee-Cap 

of  Norf/iern  Green/a  mi  in  f/ie  \ears 

1886  and  TSgi-i8gj 

WITH   A    DKSCR.PT.OX   OK    THK    ,., T  ,  ,.,,   tR.MK    O,-  .M.TH-SOUXD 

LSKIM..S,  THK. MOST  XORTHKRKV  HUMAN   IJKlXOs   ,n    ,  „  ,. 

WORLD,  AN-I>  AX  ACCOLNT  OF  THK  DISCOVKRV  A  MJ 

HRINGINO    HOMK   OK   THK    '•  SAVIKSU  K,"   OR 

GRKAT   CAI'K-VORK   MKTKORIIKS 


1» 


13  V 

ROBERT  E.  PEARY 

'ivii.  kn(;i.\f.i:k,  r.^.v. 

MEMHEH    o.    THK    AMHK.CAN   SncKTV    ,  „.    c  ,Vn.    KN,;,NKHR. 
M..M1.KK   .,h    THK  AMKKICAN   l.K<  M.KA  I  HI,  A 1,   .,„  IKTV 

WITH   MAI'S.   DIAGRAMS.   AND  AHOUT   EIGHT   HUNDRED 

ILLUSTRATIONS 
In  Two  Voi.fMKs 

VOL.    I. 


XEW  YORK 

FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 

MDCCCXCVIII 


I'     I 

I 

■  «-: 
b 


Copyright,  1898, 

Bv  FREDKKICK   A.  STORKS  COMPAN" 

A//  rig/Ks  reserved. 


Prrsswork  nv  THK  Univkrsity  Press, 
Camhrii)(;k,  U.S.A. 


\ 


1%^ 


TO   rnK   rwo  WHO  link  MK  WIIH 
iHK  i>Asr  AND  FurrKK 

MV    MOTIIKR   AND    MV    DAUCMIIEK 

THIS    HOOK   IS    HEOICAIKD 


4 

4 


*« 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I. 


PREFACE 
INTRODUCTION 


|'A(;b 

xxv 
xxvii 


PART  I. 


RECONNAISSANCE    OF   THE    GREENLAND    INLAND    ICE 
I ooO        .  ,  _  ' 

OBJECTS  AND  RESULTS  OF  1886  RECONNAISSANCE. 

PART  II. 

NORTH-GREENLAND    EXPEDITION   OF    i8qI-i8q2 

CHAPTER  "  VJy*. 

I.— Brooklyn  to  McCormick  Bay 
II.-Preparing  our  North-Greexlaxd  Home 
III.-BOAT  Voyage  to  the  Islands 
IV.~BoAT  AND  Sledge  Trips 
v.— Through  the  C.reat  Xight 
VI.-Through  the  Great    Night  (Gv///w./) 
Vir.— Imprisoned  on  the  Ice-Cap. 
VIII.-Pkeparing  for  the  Ice-Cap  Campaign 
I-X.-Around  Inglefield  Gulf  ry  Sledge. 

X.-EQUIPMENT.    Routine,    and   Beginning    of    the 
White  March 


I 
39 


■  41 

■  71 

•  95 

•  '25 

157 

•  i79 

•  197 

•  219 

•  245 

VOL.  I. 


XV 


75 


* 


XVI 


Contents  of  Vol.  I 


CHAPIKK 

Xl.-OVER  THK  •<  Great  Ice"  to  the  Nokthekn  Kn„ 

OF    (jkEENLANI) 

XII.— Northernmost  Greenland  . 
XIII.-EiGHT  Thousand  Feet  a.h.ve  the  Sea 
XIV.-IJoAT  Voyage  into  Inglkkiki.d  Gvlv  . 
XV.-Search   for  Verhoefk.  and  Ho.mkuard  Vovagk 
XVI.-Meteoroi.ogical  Notes-Vkkhoeff 
OBJECTS  AND  RESULTS  OF  189I-I892  EXPEDITION 
APPENDIX  I.— AN  ARCTIC  OASIS 

APPENDIX  II.-TIIE  SMITH-SOUNI)  ESKIMOS,  WITH  COM^ 
PLETE  CENSUS  OF  THE  TRIBE 


I'AGR 

355 

409 
427 

43« 
441 


INDEX  OF  VOL.  I. 


477 
515 


hfl 


J9 
'■1 

15 
'3 
9 

7 

S 

I 


ILLUSTRATIONS.  MAPS.  AND  DIAGRAMS 

IN  VOL.  I. 


ICE 


EAST  OF  GODI 


KOHERT  E.   PEARY 

THE  ARCTIC  PACK 

HEADPIECE  TO  INTRODUCTION 

AN(JEiA)  IIEII.PRIN 

ISAAC   ].   WISTAR       .  "         "         ' 

HENRY  (i    HRVANT 

MORRIS  K.    lESUP 

CIIAS.   P.   DAI.Y 

EMU,  DiEin  rscH     .       *      ■      ■ 

CIIAS.   A.   MooRE 

'I'All.i'IECE 

ON  THE  "(iREAT 

headpiece 

inspec:tor  neils  andersex  ■ 

frederick 

KI.AESE  DALE  CATARACT 
DANISH   ESKIMO  WOMAN 
GREENLAND  SMALL   IU)V 
SOUTH  COAST  OF  DISCO  ISLAND 
BIVOUAC  ON  THE  ICE-CAP 
COASTING   . 
ICE-CAP  EQUIPMENT 
PROFILE   OF    INLAND 

FJORD,  EASTWARD    . 
LAR(;E   PURPLE   HLOSSOMS    '         '         '         '         " 
ESKIMO  KAVAKERS  EFFECTING"  A   i"aNDINc" 
ESKIMO  KAVAKERS  TRAVEIJJNG  OVER     VNn 
PANORAMA  OF    THE    INLAND    ICE     mis uA^^^^^ 

AND  GLACIER,  AND  DISCO  HAV  GRFKVI  ivn 
HARHOJR  OF  ATANEKERDI  UK  '  ^^^^'^'AND 
ATANEKERDLUK  FOSSIL-HFDS  '         "         '         • 

CLIFF  VIEW  AT  ATANEKERDLUK  •         "         ■ 

cr-.^-^.'.V'^^-''  •^'''  ATANEKERDLUK      '         "         '         ' 
SCOICH   WHALER  OFF    ITIE  WEST  COAST 
CAPTAIN  ARTHUR   [ACKM AN  (  F  Till    •   F  V( ■,  r  ■: 
CUMr?ERLANI)  SOUND  NATIVES  ^''^ 

rPrrvr^^v-;'^'^'^'^''-'^  VOYAGE, ';886     '. 
GREENLAND  ROUTE  MAP 

PORTRAITS  OF  GIHSON.   VERHOEFf"  DR 
AND   HENSON  ' 


Frontispiece 


I'ACiR 


ICE,    FROM    HEAD 


OF    I 


lAVN 


t'ticcs 
KITSOK 


FJORD 


vol..  I. 


COOK, ASTRUP 


xvii 


xxviii 

.    xxix 

icxxviii 

xl 

xliv 

xlvi 

xlviii 

I 

liv 

l.xxx 

2 

3 
4 
6 

8 

9 
II 
12 
'3 
15 
i6 

ly 

21 
22 
23 

25 
26 

27 
29 

31 
33 
34 
35 
37 
40 

42 


(f 


will 


Illustrations 


I*  i 


IlKADI'lECK 

(  AITAIN    KICIIAkI)  J'IKK  OF  THK  "KITF."    . 

CIIIKF    KNdlNFFR   JAUDINF,    2I)    ENcilNFFR    McKINLKV 

AM)  "  HO'SUN"   DUM'IIV 

IIM 

COD-FISIIINd  IN  STKAFI"  OF   |;FI,FF  ISLK 

I)F(  K  SCFNF  AFTKK   IIFAVV  WFAIIIFK 

MRS.  I'FARV  ANDGROLI'  UF  DANISH  ESKIMO  WOMEN  A 

(.ODIIAVN     .         .  

(I.IMIIINd    IHF  (lODIIAVN  CLIFFS 

rilK   I'ARTV  AT    rilF  CAIRN 

A  CRI'ISFR  OF    IMF  ARCIIC  WIIITK  SQUADRON 

SANDERSON'S  IIOI'E  

ROUTE  OF  NORrH-(;RFENEANi»   EXPEDITION.  1891-2,  TO 

AND  FROM   MtCORMICK   HAV 

UI'ERNAVIK 

THE  I'ARTV  AT  THE   DUCK   ISLANDS        .... 
HESET  IN  THE  MEl.Vl  LLE-liAV  PACK        .... 

MELVILLE  MAV,    lULV  4.    1891 

POLAR  HEAR  

PANORAM.X  OF   COAST    FROM    CAPE    YORK    TO    CONICAI 

ROCK.     HV  ElVIND  ASTRUP 

IKWAH   AND  WALRUS 

HEADIMECE 

SI  IE  OF   RED  CLIFF    HOUSE 

THE   RED  CLIFFS      .  

RED  CLIFF   HOUSE 

LOW  TIDE 

"THE   DAVS  WERE  VERV  LONC"       ..... 
HENSON  WriII   RAVEN  AND  BLUE  FOX 

VICTIM  AM)  VICTORS 

WEIGH  IN(i  UP  A  WALRUS 

UNTOLD  WEALTH   

CRIPPLE  REACH 

ARCTIC  IIOUSE-HUILDING 

REST  AFTER   LABOUR    

HARPOON   PRACTICE   UNDER  DIFFICULTIES 

ANNADOR    

GREENLAND   FALCON     

THE  "  FAITH" 

HEADPIECE 

HAKLUVT    ISLAND,  WITH    NORTHUMBERLAND    IN    THE 

DISTANCE 

WALRUS  IN   MURCHISON  SOUND 

THE   FIRST  NATIVE 

ESKIMO  FAMILY  AND  TENT,  NORTHUMBERLAND  ISLAM 
ESKIMO     IGLOO,    NORTHUMBERLAND     ISLAND,     FRONT 

VIEW 

ESKIMO  IGLOO,  NORTHUMBERLAND  ISLAND,  REAR  VIEW 
PLAN     AND    SECTION    OF     NORTHUMBERLAND    ISLAND 

IGLOOS  

ESKIMOS  ON  NORTHUMBERLAND  ISLAND     .         .         .         . 
NATIVES  AND  FOREIGNERS 


I'AGR 

43 

44 

46 

47 
4Q 

51 

52 
54 
55 

57 
58 

59 
61 
62 

64 
66 

67 

69 

72 
73 
74 
75 
76 

77 
79 
80 
81 
83 
85 
86 

87 
89 
91 
92 

94 
96 

97 

99 
101 
102 

103 

105 
106 

loS 
no 
112 


Illr 


Uions 


XIX 


ESKIMO  VILLAGE  OK  KEAIK.  NoKTIirMMKKI.AND  ISI 

ri:\i  \  1 1. 1. ACE,  NokriiiMiii.Ki.AM)  island 

JOSKI'IIINK  (il.ACIEK.   NOU  I  IHMI'.KKI.AMi   1^1, AMt 
WKSIKKN  (il.AflEK.   NOR  11 1  T  M  lU'.RI.AM  »  ISI. AND 
\V1  I'll    rilK  WALRUS  AT  CAI'K  CI.E\  KLAND 
IKWAII  CKTTINd   IP    TIIK  WALRIS. 
\V\\IN(;  ()l     rilK  SUMMER    l»A\' 

111;  ADI'IECI". 

"  IIIE  EAST 


our  Ol 


WIND  WAS  WIIIsrLIN( 
Ld'.IAL  OLAUIERS    .         . 
PANORAMA  OL   McCORMK  K   HAY 
LIRST    IIANOINO  CLACIER     . 
I'ACKINC.  sri'l'l.ILS    TO    TIIL   ICL-CAl' 
DASIIINO    UPON    IIIE   WALRUS    . 
MRS.    PEAR\                           .... 
WALRUS       

WALRUS  iii;ai» 

A.MPIll'rilLAI  RE  HERO 

IHL   i;o.\r  I  .\Mi'-E.\rERIOR 

THE   l!0.\r  CAMP— INTERIOR 

OLAriER   OF  HIE  SC.\RI.Er    HEART 

THE   i  I\E-(iLA(TER-VALI.EV   1'ART^■  STARTINO 

THE  LI\  E-(;i.A(IER-\  AELEV  PARTY  RETURNING  OCT 

NOWDINOVAH 

••HOR.\UE  (iREELEY"ANI)  "SAIREV  GAMP 

AHNGODOHLAHO      

HEADPIECE 

RED  CLILL   IN    THE  WINTER  NIGHT 

IKW.MI'S  .MANSION 

MEGIPSU 

KVOAHPADU       .         .  .... 

THE    TIDE  GAUGE 

VERIIOELL   REAI)IN(;  TIDE  GAUCIE    . 

"RED  CLIFF  WAS  SINKING  INTO  A  HUGE  DRIl- 

THE  SMILER 

AHNINGAHNAH  .... 
TOOKUMINGWAH  .... 
"  SAIREV  GAMP"       .... 

ADULT  MAN 

ADULT   WOMAN         .... 


HOV 
GIRL 


CHILI)  .... 

TAILPIECE 
ANN AH WEE 
HEADPIECE 
CHRISTMAS  MENUS 
KUDLAII  (MISFORTUNE) 
MYAH  (THE  WHITE  MAN) 
THE  VILLAIN     . 
INALOO         .  . 

OOTUNIAH 
THE  LIBRARY    . 


THE  15 


W" 


.\  N  D 


8'TH 


I'AI.K 

03 

IK) 
II.S 

I  JI 

I-'.? 
Ijf. 

127 

l-J.S 
IV) 
I  u 

I3J 
134 

•37 
13') 
141) 

M3 
M5 
140 
14S 

I4'» 
«5> 
152 

'54 

158 

'5') 
Kio 

Kil 

I ''3 
165 

166 

i(.7 
i()(^ 
170 
171 
171 
'73 
174 
174 
■75 
I7f) 
17(1 


160 
181 

182 
1S4 

185 
185 
186 
187 
188 


•Il 


XX 


Illustrations 


\ 


\>  I 


i< 


THE  WRITING-IJKSK 

TIIK   HEI) 

THE  WASHSTAM)    . 

NH'SANdWAH 

TAHWANA  .... 

TAn.l'H'.CE  .... 

KOMONAHl'IK   .... 

HEADIMECE         .... 

THE   I'ATH   TO  THE  ICE-CAP 

DICCINC;  OUT    .... 

SUNRISE  CAM!' 

MOONI.KJHT  ON  THE  ICE-CAP 

SUNRISE  ON  THE  "(IREAT  ICE" 

THE  DENUDED  CLIFFS 

"  EVERV  liOULDER  CASED   IN  ICE 

JOSEPHINE   HEADLAND  SWIMMINCi  IN  PURI 

RED  c;LIFF  HOUSE  AFTER  THE  STORM 

A.MONG  THE    RUINS 

EFFECTINCi   REPAIRS       . 

TAILPIECE  .... 

WOMAN  AND  CHILD 

HEADPIECE        .... 

JACK 

siiOEiNc.  A  sled(;e  with  ice 

SHOEINC  A  SLED(;E  WITH   ICE 

MATT   AND  ANNOWKAH    RETURNING  F 

HUNT    .         .         

SECTION  OF  ICIvSHOE   .... 
ESKIMO  BITCH  AND  PUPPIES      . 
ICE-CAP  HEVOND  FOUR-MILE  VALLEY 

KOKO 

THE  WTDOW^  NUIKINGWAH 

THE  WIDOW'S  MITE       .... 

EASTERN  END  OF  HERBERT  ISLAND 

THE  FIRST   LOAD  FOR    THE   ICE-CAP 

TALAKOTEAH  AND  HIS  FAMILY 

FRANK.    ITIE  RETURNIN(i  PRODIGAL 

MY  ESKIMO  MAIL-CARRIER 

SOME  OF  MY    DOGS  .... 

ESKIMO  NAMES  OF  PARHELIA    . 

ESKIMO  SLEIXiE- TRAVELLER  AND    DOGS 

i   •    vDPIECE 

lA.M;.  PA  AND  ins  FAMHA'  '         .'         '. 

AT    .T.  SNOW  VILLAGE 

MAi    ul    SLEDGE  JOURNEY.  APRIL  18-24, 

1NF\HITANTS  OF  THE  SNOW  VILLAGE 

::iriL    .'MI 

K!  Ai'E    PEOPLE         .... 
:  HE  I'OPULATION  OF  NETIULUMI 

MERKTOSHAR   

PANIKPA'S  KJLOO     .... 

KIRSIRVIARSU 

MY  SLEEPING   TEAM       . 


ROM   THE    DEER 


1892 


LE 


,IGHT 


PAGE 
190 
191 

194 

i')5 
196 
198 
199 
200 
202 
203 
205 

20f) 
208 
210 
21  I 
213 

215 
217 
218 
220 
221 
222 
223 
22il 

227 
228 
229 
230 
231 
232 

235 
23f) 

237 
239 
240 
241 

243 

246 

247 
248 
249 
250 
252 
253 
255 
256 

257 
259 
260 
261 


r  1 


Illustrations 


XXI 


ER 


B 


VC 


LION  ISL  VNDS 

ROCK    STRATIKICATIOX 

FACE  OF  IIEILI'KIN  GLACIER        " 

TAIIWANA  AND  HIS  FAMILY         " 

FACE  OF   HURLHUT  GLACIER      " 

GORGE  OF    HURLHUT    GLACIER* 

BACK   TO  RED  CLIFF 

TAILPIECE 

DOGS     .  ■         '■         • 

HEADPIECE         .  ■ 

THE  START   FROM   REl)"  CLIFF    " 

THE  CAMP  ON  THE   BLUFFS         " 

PACKING      . 

UP  THE    RAVINE       '         '         '         " 

FIRST   KiLOOON  THE  ICE-CAP    ' 

THE  CARAVAN    IN  LINE 

A  HALT  FOR  LUNCH 

SUPPER  IN  CAMl- 

(ilPSON,  TEAM  AND  SLEDGF 

DR.  COOK.  TEAM  AND  SLEDGE     ' 

ASTRUP,  TEAM  AND  SLEIHIF 

O^IMK  march''   ''"•^'''"'■''•'•<^'^^^' 

1  A  I  IJ'IhC,  r, 
THE   HOUR  BEFORE  SUPPER 

HEADPIECE 

^VnH  THE  GUIDON 

ASTRUP  AND  MV   DOGS  " 

LIKE  A  GREAT  BED  OF  WHITE  LAVA 

CREVASSE  OF  THE  "(iREVT  ICF" 

ICE-MOUND.  PETERMANN  BASIN 

A  TYPICAL  CAMP 

NAI.E(JAKSOAH 

A  BREAK-DOWN 

HARD  TIMES      .         "         '  " 

IN  THE  DEEP-SNOW  REGION 

BETTER  GOING 

SETTING  THE  COURSE  ■ 

THE   NORTHERN    LAND 

THE  NORTHERN  MORAINE  ' 

MUSK-OX  RENDEZVOUS  '    ^  ' 

MY  PADDED   KAMIKS 

TAILPIECE 

NAVY  (LIFE  •         •         .         . 

HEADPIECE         .         ■         ■         ■         ■ 

DOWN  OVER  THE  ROCKS        " 

EXHAUSTED  WITH  THE  He"vT    ' 

SOURCE  OF  THE  ACADEM\-  GLACIER 

^v"^^.^    THE  ACADEMY  GLACIER 
WANE-MARKED   SANDSTONE 
MY  FIRST  MUSK-OXEN       "     ' 
MUSK-OX  SHEDDING  WINTER  COAT 


K 


PAGE 
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264 

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-^22 

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33" 
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333 
334 
335 
337 
339 


!il 


XXll 


Illustrations 


ROVAl,  HAN(,)UET  OF  MV  DOCIS  . 

CAMP  MUSK-OX  .... 

VIEW   FROM   NAVV  CLIFF      . 

ACADEMY  GLACIER  AND  INDEI'ENDENCE  BAY 

THE  STARS  AND  STRIFES  AT  NAVV  CLIFF 

PANORAMA  NORTH-NORTHWEST  FROM  NAVV  CLIFF, 

BESIDE  A  BABBLING  BROOK 

MAP  OF  INDEPENDENCE  BAY 

TAILPIECE 

SAILING  ON  THE  "GREAT   ICE" 

HEADPIECE 

PACKING  FOR  THE  RETURN 

STOR.M   CAMP 

PANIKPA     

THE  KITCHEN  .... 

POLLUX        

SAILING 

FOKE-AND-AFTER'S 

SOLITUDE 

CROSSING  PRUDHOE  LAND. 

A  HEAD-WIND 

ON  THE   HOME  STRETCH      . 

ON  THE  SUMMIT  OF  DOME  .MOUNTAIN 

PROF.   HEILPRIN  AND  PARTY 

A  BEACON  

DOWN  THE  LAST  SLOPE 

THE  "KITE"  FLOATING  SNUGLY  AT  ANCHOR 

TAILPIECE 

FACE  OF  BOWDOIN  GLACIER 

HEADPIECE 

MAP  OF  BOAT  VOYAGE  INGLEFIELD  GULF 

"WE  MET  MY  BOYS"      . 

CAPE  CLEVELAND  .... 

FAN  GLACIER 

KARNAH  (iLACIER  .... 

KARNAII 

A  TITAN   WA'ICH  TOWER      . 
SOUTH  GLACIER       .... 
WEST  OR  GNOME  GLACIER 
VIEW  AT  HEAD  OF  BOWDOIN  BAY 

EAST  c;lacier         ... 

CASTLE  CLIFFS  .... 

FACE  OF  HUBBARD  GLACIER 
MOUNT  ADAMS  .... 

MOUNT  PUTNAM      .... 
THE  BRONZE  SPHINX     . 
HART  OR   LIZARD  GLACIER 
ICE-WAVES  OF  THE  MELVILLE  GLACIEI 

TRACY  GLACIER 

ORIENT  CLIFFS  OF  TOSEPHINE-PEARY  ISLAND 
ERRATICS  ON  SUMM'IT  OF  lOSEPHINE-PEARY  ISLAN 
MRS.   PEARY  AND  HER  KAHLILLOWAH 
LOOKING  OUT  OF  ACADEMY  BAY      . 


faces 


D 


PAGE 

343 
344 
34(> 
348 
348 
351 
353 
354 
356 
357 
358 

359 
361 

3f>3 
3f'5 
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405 
406 


V*t 


Illustrations 


XXIll 


MIDNIGHT  SUN 


PKICEl.ESS  TREASURES    H  o        m',V'"LD  UTENSILS  , 

THE  ^f^:;rMSK^^  ^"^  ATAXEKKRDLUK- 
GODHAAB  ■  ■         •         ■ 

CHAI'EI.  AT  GoijHAAIJ  '         '         ' 

MORAVIAN  MISSION         '         '  " 

SOMERSAULT  IN  KVV  \k 

SOUTHWARD  WITH  BFILYIKr   ^att'c 

TAILPIECE 

ECLIPSE  OF 

HEADPIECE 

CAPE  YORK 

THE  CRIMSON  CLIFFS 
CONICAL  ROCK 
AKPANI  CLIFFS 
DALRVMPLE  ROCK  " 
SAUNDERS  ISLAND 
OOMUNUI    . 
HAKLUVT  ISLAND  " 

"'-".^''xDs''"'^'^"'  -^O'^THUMbERLAND  AND  HAK 
";iT"[-<J5[,ii1,']^i^°'^™UMEEI. 

irFw  ;>.     '^^"  GLACIERS  OF  HF 

SOUTH  GLACIER       ' 
MT.   RARTLETT 
^'.^NTINEL   NUNATAK     . 

iRCTSFSwF',^^^^°^'^°^^''^O^N-BAV 
ARCTIC  FLOWERS 
KAHKOKTAH  (J LACIER 
GLACIER  MARGIN 

cTi"'^LEx':i'N\Ti;7'^^"°^'^-^'''"^ 

JUNE  IN  BOWDOIN  R-Vy' 

COAST  WEST  OF  IIUniiARD  GLACIER 


AND  ISLAND 


HERT 
H    . 


SLAND 


U' 


T 


lAGE 
407 
408 

411 
412 

414 
415 
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418 
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421 

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451 
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453 

454 
455 
456 
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458 

459 
460 

461 
462 

463 
464 

465 
4f)6 
467 

403 
469 


XX1\^ 


Illustrations 


V     ' 


IRL 


CHARACTERISTIC  GLACIER  SNOUT  .... 
CLIFFS  OK  KANGERDLOOKSOAII  .... 

NUNATAKS  

LIT  TLETO.X  ISLAND  FRO.M  SITE  OF  POLARIS  HOUSE 
NOR  TH  SHORE,  LITTLETON  AND  McGARY  ISLANDS 
CAIRN   POINT     .... 
A   SMITH-SOUND   ESKIMO      . 
HEADPIECE         .... 

ATUPIK 

AHSAYOO     

MALE   ETHNOLOGICAL   SERIES 
WIFE   OF  SOKER 
EATING   RAW   WALRUS   MEAT 
TUNGWINGWAH   AND   HER   I5AHY 
FEMALE  ETHNOLOGICAL  SERIES 
"MISS15ILL"       .... 
FIGURE   OF   EIGHT- YEAR-OLD  G 

NUPSAH 

NUPSAH 

GROUP  OF  ESKIMO  WOMEN  . 
WRESTLING        .... 

BO.XING 

ARM  PULL 

COSTU.ME  OF   AN  ESKIMO  WOM. 

WRIST    PULI 

'I'U(;  OF   WAR     .... 

ESKIMOS   IN   THEIR   KAYAKS 

POOADLOONAH 

MOTHER   OF  SEALS 

PRAIhINc;  A   BOWSTRING     . 

STRETCHING  A   SEALSKIN   TO  I^RY 

MAKING   A   HARl'OON   LINE 

STRETCHING   A    HARPOON   LINE 

GRAVE  OF   A   HI  NTER  . 

FACE  CARVED  FROM  VERTEBRA 

KOODLOOKTOO 


\N 


OF  NARWHAL 


PAGE 
470 

473 
474 

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4()f) 

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49S 

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501 
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505 
506 

507 


iH 


I  i  ! 


PREFACE. 


THIS  narrative  has  hccn  written  to  supply  a  com- 
plete authentic  record  of  my  Arctic  work.— a 
record  which  I  owed  it  to  mv  family,  my  friends, 
and  myself  to  put  in  permanent  form.      It  is  my  first 
and  only  book,  and  it  co\ers  all  m\-  Arctic  work. 

It  contains  the  cream  of  my  Arctic  material,  liter- 
ary and  pictorial.     The  reader  will  hnd  no  paddin«r. 
ivly  constant  aim  has  been  condensation.     The  reader 
wdl  find   neither  resumes  of  prexious  work,  nor  con- 
stant  reference  to  other  explorers.      This   is  not   be- 
cause I  do  not  appreciate  their  maLrnificent  achieve- 
ments, and   have   not   profited    b\-  the   experieilce  of 
Kane,    Hayes,  Hall,    Greely,   Melville,  and    the    Ion- 
list  of  my  crallant  countrymen,  as  well  as  those  of  othe7- 
countries,    my   predecessors,    but    because   I   have  no 
room  or  riirht  to  rehash  their  experiences  and  results. 
1  he  mterested  reader  can  go  to  their  oriL^inal   narra- 
tives, and  there  learn,  in  their  own  words,' as  much  or 
as  little  of  their  work  as  he  pleases.      As  to  constant 
comparisons  with   the   work    of   others,    the   curs()r\- 
reader  will    not  care   for   these.      The   specialist  can 
make  them  himself. 

The  constant  incentive  in  my  work  has  been  an 
ineradicable  feeling  that  I  saw  soiiK^thing  before  me 
worthy  and  possible  of  accomplishment,"  and  that  I 
could  never  have  content  until  it  was  done,  or  that  I 
had  satisfied  myself  that  I  was  not  the  one  to  do  it. 


\iii..  I. 


XXVI 


Preface 


n 


1! 


h  1! 


■:  1 


"While  it  is  lK)[)(jd  the  narrative  itself  will  not  be 
lackin^L^  in  attractiveness,  yet  I  feel,  outside  of  this, 
that  it  and  the  accurate  and  profuse  illustrations,  most 
of  which  are  not  only  "  pictures,"  but  typical  studies  of 
the  features  and  objects  which  they  represent,  will 
prove  of  pronounced  educational  value  in  showing 
what  the  Arctic  regions,  with  their  inhabitants  and 
the  phases  of  life  there,  are  reall)'  like. 

While  I  have  endeavoured  in  these  pages  to  care- 
fully sum  up  the  general  aspects  and  results  of  my 
work,  I  desire  it  to  be  clearly  understood  that  I  have 
made  no  attempt  to  have  the  data  I  accumulated  set 
forth  with  scientific  fulness  and  detail. 

It  has  been  my  aim  to  make  this  book  worthy  of 
and  adapted  for  the  most  general  reading,  yet  at  the 
same  time  to  give  it  a  character  that  may,  I  trust, 
secure  for  it  the  attention  of  Arctic  students  and  scien- 
tific specialists. 

My  Expeditions  have  gathered  valuable  scientific 
material  in  ethnology,  meteorology,  geography,  and 
natural  history.  This  material  has  not  as  yet  been 
digested  and  collated  ])y  experts.  When  it  has  it  will 
be  presented  in  monograph  form. 

Dependent  upon  the  results  of  my  coming  Expe- 
dition, this  book  will  clear  the  field  for  something 
further,  or  will  form  the  complete  record  of  my  Arctic 
work. 

R.  E.  PEARY, 
Civil  Engineer,  United  States  Navy. 

New  York,  May,  1898. 


V 


h, 


INTRODUCTION. 


(  > 


li    i 

l' 


:^y-.^ 


4 


.1 


•■.,^  /^%«;^--. 


< 
a. 


H 
U 

< 

X 


!    I; 


\l 


INTRODUCTION. 


< 

0. 


o 

X 


M 


Y  Arctic  work  com- 
p.  isL'S  : 

/s/.  A  summer 
voyao^c  and  reconnais- 
sance of  the  Greenland 
Inland  Ice,  1886. 

2(il.  A  thirteen-months' 
sojourn  in  Northern 
Greenland,  including  a 
t  \v  e  1  y  e  -h  u  n  d  r  e  d  -  m  i  1  e 
sledi^e  journey  across  the 
ice-cap,  and  the  determin- 
ation of  the  insularity  of  Greenland,  1891-92. 

j{/.  A  twenty-five-months'  stay  in  North  Greenland, 
including  a  second  twelve-hundred-mile  sledge  jour- 
ney across  the  ice-cap,  the  completion  of  the  study 
of  the  Whale-Sound  natives,  a  detail  survey  of  that 
region,  and  the  discovery  of  the  great  Cape- York 
meteorites,  1893-95. 

^///.  Summer  voyages  in  1896  and  1897,  including 
the  securing  of  the  last  and  the  largest  of  the  great 
Cape-York  meteorites,  the  90-ton  mass. 

Before  taking  up  these  expeditions  in  their  order,  I 
will  attempt  to  bring  home  to  the  reader  a  realistic 
conception  of  what  the  land  which  has  been  the  scene 
of  action  is  actually  like. 

Stretchin^r  southward  over  the  swelling  bosom  of 
the  earth,    Greenland   is   the   pendent   brooch  in  the 


In  ] 


XXIX 


XXX 


Introduction 


I 


■  'I 


^litterlny^  necklace  of  snow  and  ice  which  circles  the 
North  I'olc. 

It  is  an  Arctic  island-continent,  the  most  interesting^ 


of  Arctic  lands  ;  a  lantl  of  startliiv'  contrasts  ;  a 


land 


of  mitlnii^ht  suns  and  noonday  nii^hts  ;  of  tropical 
skies  and  et<.:rnal  ice  ;  of  mountains  with  sides  still 
tini^ed  with  the  dee|)   warm  jj^low  of  ancient  volcanic 


ires. 


and 


summits  huUlen  beneath  caps  ot  e\  erlastm 


ith 


)f 


"rlasti 


IP' 


snow, 


I  fancy  most  of  my  readers  will  be  surprised  to 
learn  that  (irt!(Miland  has  a  history  accented  b)-  events 
as  strange  as  its  own  midnight  sunliirht  and  far-stretch- 
iuij^  snow-tields. 

Nine  hundrt'd  )ears  a^o.  lu'ik,  an  Iceland  outlaw, 
discovered  the  country  and  named  it  Greenland,  "  be- 
cause," he  said,  "  people  would  sooner  be  induced  to 
iro  thither  in  case  it  had  a  ii^ood  name."  Shrewd  old 
land  ai^ent  !  I'Vom  the  colony  founded  by  him,  his 
son  Lief  and  other  restk;ss  spirits  sallied  forth  to  the 
discovery  of  the  New  World.  Centuries  after,  from 
these  icebero-haunted  seas,  went  forth,  it  is  said,  a 
gleaminsj^  pile  of  walrus  tusks,  tribute  for  the  Crusades. 

Then  a  hostile  tleet  descended  upon  the  colonies, 
and  ravished  away  many  of  the  inhal)itants,  to  replace 
those  carried  off  by  the  plai^ue,  or  "  black  death,"  in 
Europe.  Straui^e  anomaly — Greenland  repopulatin^^ 
Europe  !  Finally,  the  last  of  the  shipmasters  who 
knt;w  the  route  to  Greenland  were  assassinated  by 
German  merchants  to  whom  they  refused  to  sell  their 
cargoes,  and  Greenland  in  the  fifteenth  century 
dropped  out  of  the  world  and  was  absolutely  forgotten 
before  the  voyages  of  Columbus. 

A  century  or  more  later,  Davis  rediscovered  the 
"  Land  of  Desolation,"  but  the  colonists  had  disap- 
peared, and  to-day,  though  the  Danes  occupy  nearly 
all  the  inhabitable  land  in  Greenland,  only  scattered 


ICS, 

ace 
in 


tten 


the 


Introduction 


XWl 


ruins  of  houses  and  churclu's  have  been  found,  and 
these  are  mute  as  to  the  mysterious  fate  uf  their 
former  inhabitants. 

CnioL^rapiiicall)'  and  topoi^rapliically,  Grcenhmd  ha^ 
been,  since-  tht;  tiay  its  black  chits  U)ometl  throu^li  tl\e 
Arctic  f()<4-  u[)()n  the  eyes  of  Mrik,  a  land  of  mystery, 
antl  a  source  of  constantly  increasing  interest  and 
speculation. 

It  has  be-en  traced  farther  into  the  tcj-ra  inco<^iiita 
that  encompasses  the  Pole  than  any  other  land  on  the 
globe,  antl  there  are  reasons  for  thinkinj^^  that  its 
northern  headlantl  may  be  one  abutment  of  a  britlLje 
of  islands,  over  which,  throui^h  years  of  Arctic  summer 
day  and  \vinte»-  ni^rht,  a  portion  of  the  human  race 
slowly  migrated  from  Siberia,  via  the  Pole,  to  this 
hemis[)here. 

Its  interior  is  the  last  of  those  jrlacial  conditions 
which  for  aij^es  submerged  northern  Europe,  and 
northern   North  America,  in  its  icy  flood. 

Its  northern  shores  are  famous  with  the  namt^s  of 
Americans  who  have  drajj^s^ed  its  sable  headlands  and 
icy  bays  out  of  the  Arctic  foi,^  and  night. 

From  Cape  Farewell,  its  southern  extremity,  in  the 
same  latitude  as  Christiania,  St.  Petersburg,  and 
Mount  St.  Elias,  to  Cape  Washington,  its  northern- 
most known  limit,  in  latitude  83°  38'  N.,  the  distance 
is  fifty  miles  greater  than  the  extreme  width  of  the 
United  States,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande  to 
the  49th  parallel.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  its 
northern  limit  is  near  or  within  the  85th  parallel,  in 
which  case  its  extreme  length  is  some  1 739  statute 
miles,  about  the  same  as  the  air-line  distance  from 
Washington  to  the  City  of  Mexico.  From  Cape 
Hatherton,  its  most  westerly,  to  Cape  Bismarck,  its 
most  easterly,  known  limit,  is  six  hundred  and  ninety 
miles. 


f 


V 

■I 

t 


) 


n 


'^ 


XXXIl 


Introduction 


Its  ar(!a  is  from  740,000  to  750,000  scjuarc  miles, 
al)oiit  the  same  as  tiiat  of  Mexico,  and  four  times 
the  area  of  the  New  Iiiii^land  and  Middle  States. 
No  less  than  four-fifths  of  this  area,  or  600,000  scjuare 
miles,  equivahMit  to  three  times  the  area  of  France  or 
th(?  Cierman  Fmpire,  and  thirteen  times  the  area  of 
Pennsylvania,  is  covered  by  the  Inland  Ice. 

The  population  of  the  country  is  about  t(,'n  thousand. 
Two  or  three  hundred  of  this  number  are  Danes  lo- 
cated south  of  yTf^  N.  Lat.,  and  the  Danish  Crown 
has  a  fleet  of  six  or  eii^dit  ships,  for  transportiui^^  the 
blubber,  eiderdown,  ivory,  and  furs  obtained  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  country. 

The  coast  is  bold  and  mountainous,  cut  by  numerous 
de(,'p  fjords,  and  protected  by  an  advance  _t(uard  of  out- 
lyiui^  rocky  islands.  Some  of  these  fjords  e'Xtend 
inland  a  distance  of  sixty  to  eij^hty  miles,  and  many  of 
th(Mn  are  the  outlets  of  great  glacier  streams  from  the 
Inland  Ice. 

Hut  it  is  in  the  character  of  its  interior  that  the  chief 
interest  centres.  We  all  have  a  g(.'neral  idea  of  Green- 
land, and  know  that  its  interior  is  covered  with  snow 
and  ice,  yet  the  actual  facts  art;  so  different  from  any- 
thing existing  in  lower  latitudes,  so  entirely  dissimilar 
from  anything  with  which  we  are  personally  acquainted, 
and  which  we  might  use  as  a  fountlation  from  which  to 
start  our  conception,  that  I  doubt  if  one  in  ten,  even  of 
the  best-read,  has  a  true  conception  of  the  actuality  of 
this  gr'^at  glacial  continent. 

All  '.here  is  of  land,  as  we  understand  the  term,  in 
Greenland,  is  a  ril)l)on  five  to  twenty-five  (and  in  one  or 
two  places  sixty  to  eighty)  miles  in  width,  along  the 
coast,  made  up  of  mountains  and  valleys  and  deep 
branching  fjords  ;  surroundc^d  by  the  Arctic  Sea,  play- 
ground of  the  iceberg  and  the  pack  ice,  and  itself  in  turn 
surrounding  and  supporting,  like  aTitan  dam,  the  great 


I 


'I 


I 


Introtluction 


XXXUl 


wliitt!  ice-cap  benciitli  which  the  intt-'rior  of  the-  coun- 
try is  buricil.  Wlicn  I  say  this,  I  am  sure  most  of 
us  immediately  tliink  of  soiik,*  particularly  mountain- 
ous rcL^^ion  with  which  we  are  familiar,  as  for  instance 
the  Rockies,  the  Sierras,  the  Alps,  or  the  Tyrenees, 
covered  scneral  hundreil  feet  deep  in  snow  and  ice, 
yet  still  retainiuL;  the  orij^dnal  irrei^ularities  of  the 
rci^ion.  Such  a  mental  picture,  however,  would  in  no 
way  represent  the  conditions  of  interior  (ireenland. 
There,  the  accumulated  snow  precipitation  of  cen- 
turies, in  a  latitude  and  altitude  where  it  is  practically 
correct  to  say  that  it  never  rains  and  the  snow  does 
not  nu-.h  even  in  the  lon^r  summer  da)',  has  gradually 
filled  all  the  valleys  of  the  interior,  until  it  has  levelled 
them  even  with  the  mountain  summits,  anil  still  l>ilinjr 
hij^dier  throui^h  the  centuries,  has  at  last  buried  the 
hiij^hest  of  these  mountain  summits  hundreds  and 
even  thousamls  of  feet  deep  in  snow  and  ice. 

Tht;  interior  of  Greenland  to-day  is  simply  an  ele- 
vated unbroken  plateau  of  snow,  lifted  from  five 
thousand  to  eij^dit  thousand  and  even  ten  thousand 
feet  above  tlu;  level  of  the  sea  ;  a  hui^e  white  ^iisteninj^ 
shield  some  twc-lve  hundred  miles  in  leULTth  and  five 
hundrc;d  miles  in  width,  resting;  on  the  supportinj^ 
mountains.  It  is  an  Arctic  Sahara,  in  comparison 
with  which  the  African  Sahara  is  insi_L,niificant.  lM)r 
on   this  frozen  Sahara  of  inner  Greenland  occurs  no 


f 


orm   o 


f   lif 


e,   annual    or  veL''( 


tabl( 


no 


fra 


Limen 


t  of 


rod 


no 


Lorain  of  sand  is  visible.  The  traveller 
across  its  frozen  wastes,  travellint!;-  as  I  have  week 
after  week,  sees,  outside  of  himself  and  his  own 
party,  but  three  thinL;s  in  all  the  world,  namely,  the 
infinite  expanse;  of  the  frozen  jjlain,  the  infinite  dome 
of  the  cold  blue  sky,  and  the  cold  wliite  sun, — nothintr 
but  these.  The  travelh^r,  too,  across  this  frozen  desert 
knows  that  at  no  time  durinsj^  his  journey  are  the  hiu^h- 


I 


s: 


XXXIV 


Introduction 


est  rocks  of  the  mounlain  summits  l)elow  him  nearer 
than  from  one  thousand  to  five  thousand  feet  down 
throui^h  the  mighty  hhmket  of  snow,  vSuch  is  the  in- 
terior of  Greenhind,  and  it  is  upon  the  surface  of  this 
uphfted  desolation,  in  nearly  strais^^ht  lines,  at  a  constant 
elevation  of  from  five  thousand  to  eii^ht  thousand  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  that  my  sledsj^e  journeys 
have  been  made,  in  widest  contradistinction  to  the 
road  of  the  usual  Arctic  sled^^e-party,  the  frozen  sur- 
face of  the  polar  sea  at  the  sea-level,  alonij;-  and  out- 
side of  the  rao^jj^ed  periphery  of  an  Arctic  coast-line. 

In  the  fall  of  1885,  I  had  completed  my  work  on 
the  maps  and  plans  of  the  Government  Nicarasj^ua  In- 
teroceanic  Ship-Canal  Survey,  from  which  I  had  re- 
turned the  previous  summer,  and  affairs  had  taken  on 
an  aspect  which  made  it  seem  as  if  the  project  would 
inevitably  be  postponed  indefinitely. 

Somethinjj^  was  necessary  to  occupy  my  leisure 
from  Navy-Yard  routine,  and  take  the  place  of  the 
subject  to  which  I  had  devoted  my  surplus  energ'y 
for  the  past  six  years. 

One  evenini^,  in  one  of  my  favourite  haunts,  an  old 
book-store  in  Washino^ton,  I  came  upon  a  fuo^itive 
paper  on  the  Inland  Ice  of  Greenland.  A  chord, 
which,  as  a  boy,  had  vibrated  intensely  in  me  at  the 
readinjj^  of  Kane's  wonderful  book,  was  touched  ai^^ain. 
I  read  all  I  could  upon  the  subject,  noted  the  conflict- 
injj^  experiences  of  Nordenskjold,  Jensen,  and  the  rest, 
and  felt  that  I  must  see  for  myself  what  the  truth 
was  of  this  i^reat  mysterious  interior. 

My  summer  voyaj^e  to  Greenland  in  1886  and  re- 
connaissance of  the  Inland  Ice  (Part  I.  of  this  narra- 
tive) was  the  outcome. 

In  a  paper  read  before  the  National  Academy  of 
Sciences  at  Washington,  April  23,  1886,  occurs  the 
following- : 


4 


A 


Introduction 


XXXV 


re- 
'a- 

lof 
he 


"  After  a  perusal  of  these  attempts  [to  explore  the 
Inland  Ice|,  the  truth  of  the  followinir  statement  will, 
I  think,  be  apparent,  viz.  :  Not  one  sini^de  d(!termined 
effort  having  for  its  goal  the  east  coast  of  Greenland 
has  ever  been  made,  and  there  is  nothing  to  show 
that  an  intelligent  and  determined  effort  and  the  de- 
votion of  an  entire  season  to  the  work  would  not  be 
crowned  with  success.  The  question  that  naturally 
arises  then  is,  how  can  it  be  done  ? 

"  There  are  two  ways  :  one  is  to  start  from,  say, 
Auleitsivik  Fjord,  and  travel  south-easterly  to  the 
coast  south  of  Cape  Uan,  then  to  follow  the  coast 
round  Cape  F"arewell  to  the  settlements.  This  might 
take  two  seasons  to  accomplish,  as,  after  reaching  the 
coast,  one  would  nece'  .arily,  to  a  large  extent,  be  de- 
pendent on  the  movements  of  the  natives.  The  dis- 
tance across  at  this  point  is,  however,  less  than  four 
hundred  statute  miles,  and  I  have  not  the  slightest 
doubt  but  that,  by  starting  at  the  right  season  of  a 
favourable  year,  the  distance  across  and  back  could 
be  accomplished  in  one  summer. 

"  The  other,  more  arduous,  but  at  the  same  time 
more  attractive,  route  has  for  its  origin  Whale  Sound 
or  vicinity,  and  for  its  finish,  a  point  on  the  unknown 
east  coast  near  the  8oth  parallel,  and  this  route  I 
believe  to  be  the  key  to  the  solution  of  the  Greenland 
prol^lem.  This,  I  believe,  is  the  way  by  which  not 
only  the  crossing  of  Greenland  but  the  delineation 
and  closing  of  its  coast-line  will  be  accomplished." 

In  an  interview  before  starting,  published  in  the 
New  York  Herald,  May  8,  1886.  appears  the  following  : 

"  For  the  accomplishment  of  the  simple  feat  of 
crossing,  he  |  Peary]  believes  a  route  from  Nordensk- 
jold's  base  at  Auleitsivik  Fjord,  in  a  south-easterly 
direction  to  the  east  coast  near  the  Graah  Islands, 
south  of  Cape  Dan,  offers  facilities  superior  perhaps 


ii  1 


(I 


«. 


\\ 


(1  I 

n 

■I 


iii 


f  ;. 


1)  t '' 


XXXVl 


Introduction 


to  any  oth(.T.  The  distance  is  less  than  four  hundred 
miles,  and  though  there  is  a  possibility  that  the  trip 
out  and  back  miii^ht,  with  an  early  star,  and  under 
very  favourable  circumstances,  be  made  in  a  season, 
the  chances  are  that  the  return  would  be  made  along 
the  coast  to  Cape  Farewell. 

"  A  third  route,  in  which  the  fact  of  crossing  to  the 
east  coast  would  be  of  secondary  importance,  a  step 
to  somethiuLT  more,  has  for  its  oriirin  Whale  Sound 
or  vicinity,  and  for  its  finish  a  point  on  the  unknown 
east  coast  near  the  8oth  parallel.  This  route, 
once  shown  to  be  practicable,  would  be  the  key  to  the 
solution  of  the  Greenland  problem,  and  would  be  the 
way  by  which  the  delineation  and  closing  of  the  coast- 
line of  Greenland  will  be  accomplished,  with  the  least 
risk  and  at  the  least  expense." 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  route  by  which  Nansen 
attempted  to  cross  Greenland  in  1888,  is  here  pointed 
out,  and  that  my  own  journey  from  Whale  Sound  to 
Independence  Bay,  accomplished  in  1892,  was  already 
fully  developed  in  my  mind. 

Returnino;  from  mv  reconnaissance,  full  of  enthusi- 
astic  plans  for  accomplishing  the  crossing  of  Green- 
land and  then  attacking  the  problem  of  its  northern 
extension,  I  found  the  Nicaragua  project  infused  with 
new  life  and  blood,  and  the  next  two  yearf>  of  my 
time  were  devoted  to  it,  part  of  the  time  at  home, 
part  in  command  of  the  Locating  Expedition  in 
N  icara<>:ua. 

Returning  from  this  work,  I  was  detailed  to  League 
Island,  Philadelphia,  in  charge  of  the  construction  of 
the  timber  dry  dock,  about  to  be  commenced  at  the 
Navy  Yard  there.  A  brief  paper  covering  my  sum- 
mer's work,  noting  my  deductions,  and  formulating 
my  comprehensive  plan  for  the  overland  exploration 
of   Greenland    was  published  in   the  Bulletin  of  the 


Iwu 


Introduction 


XXXVll 


American  GcoQ^raphica I  Society  for  December,  i  S86. 
In  1888,  Nansen  effected  the  crossing-  of  Southern 
Greenhind,  startinir  on  the  shortest  of  m>'  indicated 
routes,  l)ut  beiuij;-  compelled  Lo  modify  his  plans  and 
finally  crossing  on  a  route  two  hundred  and  eii^^hty 
miles  lonj^'. 

This  forestallinor  of  my  work '  was  a  serious  blow  to 
me  ;  but  my  duty  to  the  Service  left  me  helpless,  and 
I  could  only  fall  back  upon  the  other  northern  route. 
Needless  to  say  my  project  was  always  with  me,  and 
as  soon  as  the  dry  dock  neared  completion  I  put  my 
plan  in  formal  shape,  and  presented  it  for  the  con- 
sideration and  endorsement  of  prominent  societies 
and  individuals  :  Philadelphia  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences,  American  Geographical  Society,  National 
Geographical  Society,  and  Brooklyn  Institute.  It 
was  unanimously  endorsed  by  all  these,  and  the  Navy 
Department  having  been  sounded  informally,  I  sent 
in  an  application  for  eighteen  months'  leave,  accom- 
panied by  a  brief  of  my  project  and  the  strongest  let- 
ters from  Judge  D 'ly,  Professors  Leidy,  Putnam, 
Adams,  and  others.  Aly  object  was  to  reach  and 
determine  the  northern  limit  of  Greenland  overland, 
/.  c,  across  the  Inland  Ice. 

The  salient  features  of  my  plan  were  : 

First  and  foremost,  the  utilisation  of  the  elevated 
surface  of  the  great  interior  sea  of  ice  lying  within 
the  coast-land  ribbon,  as  a  direct  and  imperial  high- 
way to  the  point  of  destination. 

Second,  a  party  of  minimum  size. 

Third,  entire  reliance  upon  the  game  of  the  region 


! 


', 


'  "  Peary  and  Maigaard,  with  their  scanty  e(iuipnient,  had  made  a  highly  suc- 
cessful inroad  upon  the  (ireenland  ice-tiehl,  intended,  as  I'cary  had  exjiressly 
stated  in  his  brief  narrative,  merely  as  a  preliminary  reconnaissance.  A'ansfii 
had  no  time  to  lose  if  he  did  not  7oa>it  to  be  anticipated." — Fridtiof  Nansen, 
Longmans,  CJreen,  &  Co.,  i.^()(>,  p.  160. 


^.'■f 


'I 
II 


n 


111  ll^^ 


^^-r-- 


'^z- 


l( 


Introduction 


XXXIX 


about  my  base,  or  headquarters,  for  the  meat-supply 
of  my  party. 

Fourth,  extreme  lio;'htness  and  compactness  of 
sledi^es  and  equipment,  rendered  possible  by  the  sur- 
face to  l)e  traversed. 

Fifth,  the  presence  of  the  leader  of  the  Expedition 
in  the  van  of  exploration. 

My  application  was  favourably  endorsed  by  the 
Commandant  at  LeaL(ue  Island,  Captain  H.  B.  Seeley, 
U.  S.  N.  ;  by  the  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Yards  and 
Docks,  Commodore  Norman  H.  T'arquhar,  U.  S.  N., 
hero  of  the  Samoan  disaster  ;  and  was  iinmediately 
i^ranted  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Hon.  Benj. 
l\    Tracy. 

The  American  Geooraphical  Society  then  appro- 
priated $1000;  Professor  Putnam  assi^^ned  $1000 
for  an  ethnoloL^ical  exhibit  for  the  Columbian  Expo- 
sition ;  the  New  York  S?in  offered  $1000  for  letters; 
Verhoeff  contributed  $2000  ;  and  Professor  Heilprin, 
of  the  Philadelphia  Academy,  organised  an  auxiliary 
expedition,  the  members  of  which  contributed  amounts 
which,  toij^'ether  with  smaller  amounts  from  various 
friends  and  a  few  thousand  dollars  of  my  own,  per- 
mitted the  fitting  out  of  my  North-Greenland  Expe- 
dition of  1891-92,  and  the  chartering  of  a  ship  to  take 
it  north. 

An  explicit  statement  is  necessary  here  to  correct 
erroneous  impressions.  The  Philadelphia  Academy 
was  the  first  institution  to  which  my  project  was  pre- 
sented, and  the  first  to  endorse  and  commend  it, 
which  it  did  in  warm  and  unequivocal  terms.  As  an 
institution,  however,  the  Academy  never  appropriated 
or  contributed  a  dollar  to  the  Expedition.  Members 
of  the  Academy,  in  their  private  capacity,  did  con- 
tribute powerfully,  both  in  work  and  money,  towards 
its  success. 


I 


I 

:7 


il 


^l 


KJkM4.J^^''Uz^<2^^^:ziA 


1  - 


lntro^.!uction 


xli 


To  the  personal  interest,  friendship,  and  intense  en- 
ere,'^y  and  push  of  Prof.  Anj^elo  Heilprin,  Curator  of 
the  Acadeni)',  was  I  indebted,  more  than  to  any  other 
one  person,  not  only  for  the  ofihcial  action  of  the 
Academy,  but  for  the  unofficial  interest  and  efforts 
of  its  members,  which  assured  the  balance  of  the 
funds  necessary  to  make  the  affair  a  success. 

To  the  late  distinj^uished  President  Leidy  and  the 
Council  of  the  Academy  of  National  Sciences  of 
Philadelphia ;  to  Prof.  F.  \V.  Putnam,  of  the  Ameri- 
can Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science  ;  to 
Judi^e  Charles  P.  Daly,  President  of  the  American 
GeoL^raphical  Society ;  to  Prof.  ¥.  \V.  Hooper,  Di- 
rector of  the  Brooklyn  Institute  ;  to  President  A.dams 
and  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  GeOLj^raphical 
Department  of  the  Brooklyn  Institute  ;  to  Professors 
Lee  and  Young  and  the  President  and  other  mem- 
bers cf  the  faculty  of  Bowdoin  College,  my  Alma 
Mater,  I  was  indebted  for  cordial  and  most  valuable 
endorsement  of  my  project. 

To  Secretary  Tracy  I  was  indebted  for  my  leave, 
for  his  approv^al  of  my  project,  and  for  his  kindly  in- 
terest in  my  plans ;  and  to  Commodore  Farquhar 
and  Chief-Engineer  Melville,  chiefs,  respectively,  of 
the  Bureaus  of  Yards  and  Docks,  and  Steam  Engi- 
neering, for  kindly  ofifices  which  no  others  were  in 
a  position  to  render  so  effectively. 

To  the  National  Geographic  Society  I  am  under 
obligations  for  its  interest  in  my  work,  and  to  the  So- 
ciety and  Miss  Ulrica  Dahlgren  for  a  beautiful  flag, 
to  be  carried  to  the  "  farthest." 

Though  friends  in  the  Portland  Society  of  Natural 
History,  and  others,  accompanied  their  wishes  for 
success  with  tangible  enclosures,  it  was  to  the  Ameri- 
can Geographical  Society,  and  particularly  to  the 
efforts  of  the  active,  enthusiastic  members  of  the  North- 


I 


(I, ' 


4- 


Ml' 


V . 


V  ^ 


imt 


lii 


Xlll 


Introduction 


Greenland  Committee  of  the  Philadelphia  Academy 
of  Natural  Sciences,  Professors  Leidy,  Sharp,  Heil- 
prin,  and  Brinton,  Mr,  Hart,  and  Drs.  Ruschen- 
berirer  and  McCook,  that  I  was  indebted  for  the 
sinews  of  war  necessary,  in  addition  to  my  own  re- 
sources, to  fit  out  my  I^xpedition. 

And  when  the  unlooked-for  point-blank  refusal  of 
the  Dundee  whalinj^  companies  and  the  director  of 
the  Greenland  trade  to  give  my  party  transportation 
to  Greenland  in  any  of  their  vessels,  on  any  terms, 
made  it  necessary  to  charter  a  vessel  for  the  purpose, 
Professor  Putnam,  in  behalf  of  his  Department  of 
Ethnology  of  the  World's  P^air,  Mr.  Yerhoeff,  and 
the  organisation  by  Professor  Heilprin  of  a  party  of 
scientific  men  to  make  a  summer  scientific  cruise,  as- 
sured the  additional  funds  necessary  to  meet  the  more 
than  doubled  expense. 

Thus  the  North-Greenland  Expedition  of  1891-92. 
(Part  II,)  After  my  return  from  this  Expedition,  on 
the  K//c,  which  again,  through  the  indefatigable  en- 
ergy and  efforts  of  Professor  Heilprin  and  friends  in 
the  Academy  had  been  sent  for  me, — though  I  felt  my 
friends  were  right  in  saying  that  I  had  accomplished 
a  brilliant  feat  in  my  long  sledge  journey, — I  was  far 
from  satisfied.  I  felt  that  there  was  still  further  im- 
portant work  to  be  done  in  the  north,  and  7W7a,  while 
the  iron  was  hot,  and  I  armed  with  the  experience 
already  gained. 

An  important  factor  in  this  connection  was  a  prop- 
osition made  by  Major  Jas.  B.  Pond,  the  widely  known 
lecture  impresario,  in  regard  to  a  series  of  lectures. 
This  proposition  promised  to  yield  me  the  funds  for 
another  expedition,  which  should  be  on  a  more  pre- 
tentious scale  than  the  first.  But  for  this  I  needed 
an  additional  leave,  which  I  had  reason  to  believe 
would  not  be  readily  granted. 


t>- 


I 


I 


Introduction 


XllU 


n 


1 


I  approached  Dr.  Nolan,  Secretary  of  the  Acad- 
emy. Mis  advice  was:  "  See  the  President,  General 
Wistar.  If  he  favours  your  scheme  he  can  assist  you 
in  obtaininL^  your  leave  ;  if  not,  the  Academy  will 
take  no  steps."  My  interview  with  General  Wistar 
took  place  the  same  day.  At  its  close  he  said  :  "  I 
believe  you  should  have  the  opportunity  to  carry  out 
your  project.  On  the  understanding^  that  the  Acad- 
emy will  not  be  calUxl  upon  for  any  money,  its  endow- 
ment not  beiuLj  lawfully  available  for  this  purpose,  and 
will  not  be  responsible  for  the  risks  to  yourself  and 
companions,  I  will  use  my  best  efforts  to  obtain  your 
leave."  With  this  powerful  influence  in  my  favour,  I 
felt  the  thiuLi^  alri^ady  done.  Assisted  by  his  friends, 
I)rs.  Chapman  and  Dixon  of  the  Academy,  General 
Wistar  presented  the  matter  to  the  Navy  Department 
in  such  a  convincini^  lii^ht  that  the  Secretary,  Hon.  B. 
F.  Tracy,  at  once  granted  me  three  years'  leave. 

This  was  November,  1892.  I  had  six  months  in 
which  to  raise  the  funds,  organise  my  party,  and  equip 
and  fit  my  Expedition.  It  was  too  much  work  for  the 
time,  and  though  it  was  done,  some  of  it  was  not  care- 
fully done.  This  applies  specially  to  the  selection  of 
my  party.  Carried  away  by  enthusiasm,  and  with  no 
time  in  the  rapid  whirl  of  effort  for  a  calm  considera- 
tion of  the  matter,  I  made  the  fatal  mistake  of  taking, 
contrary  to  my  expressed  theory,  a  large  party.  I 
found,  when  too  late,  that  I  had  very  little  suitable 
timber  for  Arctic  work  in  it. 

From  my  lectures,  of  which  I  delivered  one  hundred 
and  sixty-eight  in  ninety-six  days,  I  raised  $13,000; 
Mrs.  Peary  put  in  v.W  the  money  received  for  her 
books  ;  the  American  Geographical  Society  again  con- 
tributed $1000;  the  New  York  Si///  doubled  its  offer 
of  the  previous  year,  for  letters  ;  and  receipts  from 
other  sources  amounted  to  two  or  three  thousand. 


II-: 


[\ 


l^' 


m 


:     I 


\ 


I'  t 


I,  • 
I 


j4i^y[^^  ^'  f3nu^ 


yyuh^ 


-^ 


Introduction 


xlv 


Still  the  total  was  not  siithciiMit,  and  just  at  this 
tiiiu-  th(,'  silver  panic  niatcrialis(;il,  and  it  was  im- 
possible to  _L(et  any  society  or  indivitlual  interested. 
I  had  already  chartertxl  my  shi[),  ordered  my  etpiip- 
ment  ami  suppli(.'s.  enlisted  my  party,  antl  now  had 
not  sufficient  funds  to  meet  the  demantls.  What  was 
to  he  (lone?  At  this  crisis  a  friend  sui^Li^ested  put- 
tiuL;'  m\-  ship  on  exhibition,  and  raising-  the  balance 
needed  in  this  manner.  I  hesitated  some  time.  The 
idea  was  extremely  distasteful  to  me,  but  there  was 
no  other  alternative,  and  the  people  of  Philadelphia, 
New  York,  iioston,  and  Portland  wen;  oiven  an  op- 
portunit\-  to  visit  the  ship  on  the  i)ayment  of  a  nom- 
inal admission. 

As  a  result,  the  quarters  of  the  people  made  up 
the  needed  balance. 

The  North  Greenland  Expedition  of  ICS93-94  (  Part 
III.)  sailed  in  the  Falcon,  June,   1893. 

This  time  my  ship,  a  much  larjj^erone  than  the  Kih\ 
was  chartered  for  two  voyages — to  take  me  north 
and  briuL^;  me  back.  She  returned  for  me  in  1S94 
with  Mr.  H(Miry  G.  P)r)ant,  of  Philadelphia,  who  had 
been  Prof.  Heilprin's  second  in  command  in  1S92,  in 
command  of  an  auxiliary  expedition.  I\Iy  expenditures 
the  previous  year  had  been  in  excess  of  my  ttstimates, 
and  now  the  balance  necessary  to  pa\'  the  exj)c;nses  of 
the  shii)  was  met  bv  \w\  mother,  and  the;  (efforts  of 
Prof.  Heilprin  in  orLj^anisinjj;-  the  auxiliary  party. 

M\-  i^n;vious  \ear's  work  not  havintjf  been  success- 
ful.  I  remained,  with  Lee  and  Henson,  while  tlu-  rest 
of  the  partv  returned.  Mrs.  Pear\-  ami  our  little  L^irl 
also  cauK;  home.  WHiile  .iiJl'oinor  from  Phila(leli)hia  to 
St.  John's,  after  landinLT  the  part\-.  the  /ui/con,  with  all 


on  hoard,  was  lost. 


All 


m\-  own    means  and    Mrs.  Pcar\-'s  as   w(.'ll    had 


now  \)v('\\  cxlKUisletl,  and  it  de\() 


Ived 


u[)on  her.  single- 


ll 


.     ! 


I 


I,, 


Iiitroiluctiun 


.\  1  \'  i  i 


« 
^ 


handed,  to  raisf  tin*  nionc)-  to  send  a  ship  tor  me  ami 
ni)'  coiiipaiiioiis  the  follow  ini:;"  year. 

IliTinost  c-ariifst  cllorts  im-t  with  i)iii  ill  siiccfss 
in  raisiiiLi;  iIk-  total  amoiiiu,  alt!i()U;4h  tin:  Anicrifan 
Gcoi^iaphical  Socict)'  ai^ain  canic  forward  with  $I(hh), 
tht;  American  Museum  of  Natural  llistor\'  a|>|)roj)ri- 
atcd  $1000,  tlu;  (ieoi^raphical  Cluh  of  Philadelphia, 
through  tlu:  efforts  of  i'roit'ssor  I  li  ilprin.  its  I*resident, 


raised 


$760  t( 


o  scMid  one  ot   lis  memhers.  the 


Nat 


lona 


Cicoj^raphical  Society  organised  a  lecture  which  netted 
Mrs.  Peary  $400,  and  sexcral  friends,  j  udL;e  I  )al\',  Miss 
'Ihorn,  Mrs.  I»r\ant,  Mr.  P)arinL;.  Mr.  Pry.ml,  and  Mr. 
I'arrish,  contributed  \arious  sums. 

At  this  juiutiu'e.  the  President  of  the  American 
Museum,  Morris  K.  |esup,  in  his  private  capacity, 
stepped  in,  with  unexampled  generosity,  and  i^uaran- 
te((l  whate\-er  hahuice  mii^dit  be  necessar)'  to  complete 
th(!  full  amount,  and  the  /vZ/i-  aj^ain  went  noilh  in 
1S95,  with  Mr.  Mmil  Diehitsch — whose  experience  in 
I S94  especially  htted  him  for  the  place,  who  had  eiven 
his  time  and  ener^)'  unresiTvedly  to  aid  Mrs.  Peary, 
and  who  now  unselt'ishly  set  aside  his  own  affairs  en- 
tirely—in command  of  the  Plxpedition. 

Keturnini^  from  this  I'^xptnlition  exhaust(;d  l)\-  the 
strain  of  my  ic(!-cap  journe\',  and,  as  1  now  aj)preciate, 
not  myself  jjhysically  or  mentally,  I  felt  as  if  my 
Arctic  efforts  were  ended,  and  th(.'  fact  that  there 
were  two  well-equipped  exjx'ditions  still   in  the  field, 


itl 


witli   a  «'()Oil   clKuice  ot   accomn 


.lisl 


imo 


tl 


leu'  objects 


m 


iide  me  feel  as  if  my  life-work  had  been  a  failure 


ri 


lere    were    s 


till 


some    untmished    threat 


is   of 


m 


work  to  be  knotttxl,  before  I  loosened  nu'  ,L;rasp  upon 
it  antl  turned  nncyes  away  from  my  dream, — threads 
which  my  strui^Lde  for  som(!thini^-  more  imf)ortant  had 


■ft 


me   no  tmu;  to  alterid   to. 


Th 


le  i)rmcu)al   one  o 


f 


these   items   of   unfinished    business  was  the  securi 


nsj' 


. 


'!■ 


)       ■ 


u: 


h  ! 


I 


I '    \ 


w  I 


■ 

i 

^1 

|^^HR:;2^^MBH 

^H 

I 

^^H 

B^l 

■ 

^^^I^DIflBi^lH 

■■■■    -^  'f¥W.'.       "f 

^^^fljj^l 

1 

1 

^filHj 

'^^^^HH 

1 

1 

^^^^^^^^^^^^B^ 

1 

1 

a^-         c^ 


I 

I 


,.,i 


Introduction 


XllX 


of  tho  third,  last,  and  largest  of  the  ^reat  Cape-York 
meteorites  wliicli  I  had  discovered  in  1894,  and  to  ac- 
coniphsh  this  I  wi's  anxious  to  make  another  summer 
voyage. 

There  was  very  stroni;-  (opposition  to  my  obtaining 
t\\v.  necessary  leave  for  this,  but  President  Jesup's 
powerful  influence,  assisted  by  the  personal  efforts 
of  Hon.  W'm.  C.  Whitney,  overcame  it,  and  the 
oi)i)ortunity  was  affordc;cl  me  of  making  the  summer 
voyage  of  1896. 

Returning  from  this  voyage  unaccomjjanied  by  the 
meteorite,  owing  to  hostile  conditions,  I  was  met  by 
the  news  of  Nansen's  return  from  his  three  years' 
drift  through  the  joolar  basin,  and  his  attainment  of 
an  exceptionally  high  northing,  and  U'arned  that 
during  the  long  drift  no  land  had  been  seen  from  the 
/v-<?w,  though  she  had  passed  across  a  line  drawn 
from  r>anz  Joseph  Land  to  the  Pole.  This  vetoed 
Jackson's  hopes  and  eliminated  the  entire  Siberian 
half  of  the  ;.olar  basin  from  any  further  serious  con- 
sick'ration  as  a  jjossible  route  for  reaching  the  Pole. 
The  summer's  voyage  and  the  Arctic  atmosphere  had 
brushed  away  the  last  vestige  of  the  previous  year's 
exhaustion  and  morbidness.  I  felt  once  more  my 
old-time  r/c?//  and  sanguineness.  The  fact  that  the 
WvAd  was  not  only  still  open,  but  that  the  plan  nest- 
ling fully  developed  in  my  mind  before  my  return 
was  now  proven  to  be  not  merely  the  mos/  practicable 
but  the  o;i/y  remaining  practical  one  by  which  to  reach 
the  yet  unsealed  apex  of  the  earth,  filled  me  with 
new  hopes  and  courage.'. 

Plans  which,  though  fully  developed  before,  it 
would  have  been  entirely  [)remature  to  have  put 
forth  previous  to  the  finale  of  Nansen's  and  Jackson's 
work,  were  now  ripe  for  promulgation,  and  at  the 
annual  meeting  of    the  American   Geographical   So- 


il 


1  < 


w 


k 


A 


■J 
i 


r 


{QliAAAX..    /OIlXvU^it_ 


*; 


I 


Introduction 


li 


I 


ciety,  January  12,  1897,  on  the  occasion  of  thu  Soci- 
ety's presentation  to  me  of  the  first  CuUum  Medal,  I 
broached  my  project  for  effectin<j^  "the  concjiiest  of 
the  North  Pole,  the  complete  delimitation  of  the 
Greenland  Archipelago,  and  the  elimination  from  our 
maps  of  the  unknown  area  between  the  84th  parallel 
and  the  Pole." 

My  plan  was  in  brief:  "To  raise  a  fund  sufficient 
to  insure  the  continuation  of  the  work  of  explora- 
tion for  five  years,  if  necessary,  say  $150,000.  and 
deposit  it  in  a  trust  company  ;  purchase  a  ship  ;  give 
her  a  minimum  crew ;  load  with  concentrated  pro- 
visions ;  proceed  to  W  hale  Sound  ;  take  on  board 
several  picked  families  of  my  faithful  Eskimos,  with 
their  tents,  canoes,  dogs,  etc.  ;  force  a  way  through 
Robeson  Channel  to  Sherard-Osborn  Fjord  or  farther, 
and  land  people  and  stores  ;  then  send  the  ship  back. 
As  soon  as  the  fre(;zing  of  the  ice  in  the  great  fjords 
of  the  north-west  coast  would  permit  sledge  travel,  the 
work  of  advancing  supplies  north-eastward  along  the 
coast  would  be  commenced,  taking  comparatively 
short  stages  ant'  ii.^'lit  loads  so  that  the  trips  coultl  be 
quickly  made.  As  soon  as  the  supj)lies  had  been  ad- 
vanced the  first  stage,  the  party  itself  would  move 
forward,  leaving  a  cache  behind,  and  as  they  would  be 
following  Eskimo  customs  and  living  in  snow  houses, 
this  could  easily  be  done.  Then  the  second  stage  of 
advance  would  be  taken  up,  and  the  work  carried  on 
until  the  departure  of  the  sun.  P2ach  of  the  brilliant 
winter  moons  of  the  polar  night  would  afford  op- 
portunities for  continuing  it,  so  that  -'>arly  spring 
should  find  the  party  and  the  bulk  of  its  supplies  lo- 
cated at  the  northern  terminus  of  the  North-Cireen- 
land  Archipelago,  probably  not  far  from  the  85th 
parallel,  with  caches  behind  it  at  each  prominent 
headland.      From   this   point,   when   the   proper  time 


'  I 


i   ■'! 


'»  m 


l\  1 


lii 


Introduction 


i ,' 


^ii, 


came,  with  picked  dojj^s,  the  Hsj^htest  possible  equip- 
ment, and  two  of  the  best  of  the  TLskimos,  the  dash 
for  the  Pole  would  be  attempted  with  stroni^  proba- 
l)ilities  of  a  successful  termination.  Should  the  first 
season  be  unfavourable  as  regards  ice  conditions,  it 
woukl  be  devoted  to  a  detailed  survey  of  the  archipel- 
ai^o  itself  and  a  reconnaissance  of  the  east  coast  as 
far  south  as  possible,  and  the  northern  journey  re- 
served for  the  followintj^  season,  or  the  next.  Each 
succeedinjj^  summer  the  ship  would  i'ttempt  to  estab- 
lish communication  with  the  party's  base,  succeeding 
probably  every  other  year  at  first,  then,  ..ith  increas- 
in<^  experience,  ever\'  year,  and  keej)  up  its  supply  of 
food,  doL;s,  and  Eskimos  until  the  objects  of  the  Ex- 
pedition were  accomplished.  Should  the  ship  be  un- 
successful in  the  passaLi'e  of  Rol)eson  Channel  the 
first  year,  the  party  would  land  at  Hayes  Sound,  and 
devote  the  first  year  to  explorations  of  that  unknown 
reij^ion.  Retreat  from  the  colony  at  Sherard-Osborn 
Fjord  would  always  be  practicable  across  the  Inland 
Ice  to  Whale  Sound. 

"  In  a  nutshell  my  project  contemplates: 

"  r  irst :  The  raisiuLT  of  a  sum  sufficient  to  insure 
persistent,  continued  effort,  so  that  if  the  attempt 
fails  the  first  )'ear  it  can  l)e  repeated  the  next,  and  the 
next,  and  the  next  until  it  is  done. 

"  Second  :  The  establishment  of  a  party  of  picked 
Eskimo  families,  a  sur^^eon,  and  an  experienced  leader 
at  the  hii^hest  practicable  point  on  the  north-west 
coast  of  Greenland  ;  with  ample  supplies,  means  of 
communication,  which  would  enable  the  colony  to  sus- 
tain itself  until  its  work  is  accomplished,  and  with  a  prac- 
tical line  of  retreat  entirely  independent  of  the  ship." 

The  approval  of  the  project  was  immediate  and 
emphatic,  and  my  friends  bei^an  steps  to  permit  its 
beino-   put   into  execution.      The   funds  havin^^'  been 


Introduction 


liii 


assured,'  the  only  remainini^  thinq"  was  the  necessary 
extended  leave  from  the  Navy  Department. 

The  opposition  which  had  made  itself  felt  in  my 
previous  work  was  now  so  determined,  concentratetl, 
and  bitter,  that  though  the  stronsj^est  memorials  were 
presented  to  the  Navy  Department  by  President 
Jesup  of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
President  Daly  of  the  American  Geographical  So- 
ciety, and  uri^ed  by  the  most  prominent  business  and 
scientific  men  in  the  country,  it  took  the  splendid 
force,  personal  efforts,  and  persuasive  eloqu(?nce  of 
Charles  A.  Moore,  in  a  direct  appeal  to  his  friend. 
President  McKinley,  to  obtain  from  him  an  intimation 
that  it  would  please  the  President  if  the  necessary 
leave  were  granted  me. 


«ved 
Ider 
'est 
of 

iUS- 

•ac- 

ind 
its 
;en 


'  Report  ok  the  Committke  appointed  Feurtary  6,  iSijy,  to  consider 

AND   report   upon  A  yCUEME   FOR    PoLAR    EXPLORATION    SUBMITTED   BY 

R.  E.  Peary,  U.S.N. 

To  the  Council  if  the  American  Geoi^rapliical  Society. 

Gentlemen : 

Your  Coiiiniittee.  having  examined  and  considered  Mr.  R.  E.  Peary's  pro- 
ject of  jioiar  exploration,  resjjectfully  report  that  tliey  tind  it  clearly  stated  and 
well  reasoned,  antl  in  their  juds^nient  (so  far  as  men  not  pcr>onally  familiar 
with  the  conditions  of  Arctic  life  can  he  sup-posed  to  form  a  judgment),  prat:ti- 
cable  and  worthy  of  sujiport. 

In  itself  and  keeping  in  view  tiie  o])jects  sought  to  be  attained — the  added 
distinction  to  he  won  for  .\merica,  and  the  increase  of  knowledge  among  men — 
and  the  cliances  of  success,  the  attemjit  is  one  that  ouglit  to  he  made. 

Considering  Mr.  Peary's  rare  experience  and  his  remarkable  (pialilications 
of  energy,  ]irudence,  tenacity,  and  fitness  for  command,  it  must  lie  regarded  as  a 
singular  advantage  for  his  C(juntry  that  he  stands  ready  to  undertake  the  task  for 
which  his  natural  gifts  and  his  acquirements  have  lilted  him   beyond  other  men. 

Your  Committee  submit,  and  recommend  for  adojition,  the  following  reso- 
tion  : 

A'esolTed,  that  the  Council  of  the  .\merican  deographical  Society  heartily 
approves  the  project  of  ])olar  exjiloration  laid  before  it  by  Civil-Engineer  K.  E. 
Peary,  L'.  S.  .\.,  and  will  gladly  contribute  towards  the  expense  of  the  same, 
]"irovidetl  such  contribution  is  needed  and  will  be  acceptable,  and  that  otiier  sub- 
scriptionb,  buflicieat  to  warrant  tlie  umiertaking,  are  secured  by  Mr.  Pear). 

Respectfully  submiitetl. 

UaNCKOI-  i    '  "iIIEKAKDI,  \ 

Charles   1'.  Daly,       |-  Committee. 
Chandler  Rcjhbins,    ) 
New  York,  February  20,  1897. 


\K 


i  I 


n 

n 


/ 


;  I 


'1 

i 

I 


J 


Introduction 


Iv 


The  immediate  outcome  of  that  leave  was  tlie  voy- 
a_L(e  of  hist  summer  the  Sixth  Peary  Expedition  (Part 
v.),  in  which  thi-  work  of  instructini^  my  natives  as  to 
the  com.inL(  year,  in  accordance  with  my  proj^ramme, 
was  successfully  accomplished,  and  the  great  meteor- 
ite also  safely  brouL^ht  home. 

In  conclusion,  the  men  to  whose  personal  interest, 
efforts,  and  inlluence  has  been  due,  more  than  to  any- 
one else,  my  ability  to  untlertake  my  various  voyaij^es, 
are  in  chronological  order:  Prof.  Anij^elo  lleilprin  of 
PhilacU;l[)hia,  President  of  the  GeoL,^raphical  Club  of 
Philacleli)hia,  formerly  Curator  of  the  Philadel[jhia 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  ;  General  I.  J.  W'istar 
of  Philadelphia,  President  of  the  P.  R.  R.  Coal  & 
Canal  Co.,  and  late  President  of  the;  Philadelphia  Acad- 
eni)'  of  Natural  Sciences  ;  President  Morris  K.  Jesup 
of  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  New 
York  ;  and  Charles  A.  Moore,  of  Brooklyn. 

Aidinir  and  assistinu^  these  were  President  H.  W. 
Cannon,  and  X'^ice-President  J  as.  G.  Cannon  of  New 
York,  lion.  Prancis  Wilson  of  Brooklyn,  and  others 
whose  names  1  am  not  at  libert)-  to  mention  Iiere  ;  and 
standino-  in  solid  line  ready  to  use;  the  weij^ht  of  their 
influence  in  m)'  favour,  and  to  aid  in  every  way,  morally 
and  financially,  throughout  the  entire  time,  were  Jud^e 
Daly.  President  of  the  Geo^raj^hical  Society,  antl  his 
Council ;  Chief-PLno'ineer  Geo.  W".  Melville,  U.  S,  N., 
Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Steam  PLnoineerintr ;  the  New 
York  Sun  ;  C)rus  C.  Adams,  and  H.  L.  Bridi^man. 

Never  was  a  man  more  fortuna  e  in  his  friends  than 
I.      It  is  impossible  to  enumerate-  them  all. 

To  the  societies  and  friends  who  i^ave  uk;,  when  I 
needed  help,  the  moral  and  material  support  r(;quired 
to  |)lace  my  enterprise  on  its  feet,  I  owe  a  debt  of 
gratitude  which  I  may  acknowledi^e  here,  but  can  never 
adec[uately  dischar^^e.     No  one  but  myself  knows  how 


Ui 


(•, 


i 


I 


I  i 


Ivi 


Introduction 


potent  their  aid  was  to  me  ;  and  it  is  with  heartfelt 
l)leasure  that  I  here  exi)rt:ss,  however  feebly,  my  i^rate- 
ful  stMise  of  their  helpfulness. 

To  the  newspaper  press,  and  to  the  public  of  my 
native;  land,  I  am  indebted  for  their  kind  interest  in 
m\-  work.  Their  uniform  friendliness  has  been  a 
source  of  much  comfort  to  me. 

Such  in  brief  is  the  secjuence  and  thread  of  events 
which  led  u\)  to  and  connected  my  various  Expe- 
ditions, and  the  part  which  my  friends  have  played  in 
the  work. 

A  few  points,  in  my  judL^ment,  demand  and  are 
worthy  of  clear,  definit(;  presentation. 

The  work,  the  narrative  of  which  follows,  has  been 
accomplished  entirely  by  private  enterprise.  I  miij^ht 
perhaps  claim,  without  in  any  way  belittlino^  the  as- 
sistance of  those  who  have  helped  me  with  l)oth 
mon(;y  and  mtluence,  tliat  it  is  the  result  of  my  single- 
handed  efforts.  Thouoh  a  member  of  that  Service 
which  keeps  the  Stars  and  Stripes  in  all  the  seas  of 
the  i^lobe,  none  of  my  Expeditions — contrary  to  a 
quite  u^eneral  impression — has  been  under  Govern- 
ment auspices.  The  Government  has  never  appro- 
priated, nor  been  asked  to  appropriate,  a  dollar  for 
any  of  my  Expeditions,  Nor  has  the  Government 
had  any  responsibility  in  connection  with  my  work. 
It  has,  however,  kindly  oiven  me  my  time,  z.  c,  al- 
lowed me  the  leave  necessary  to  enable  me  to  prose- 
cute my  plans. 

Nor  has  any  society  or  individual  contributed  the 
bulk  of  the  funds.  Fully  two-thirds  of  the  total 
amount  expended  by  me  in  my  Arctic  work  during^  the 
past  twelve  years  have  been  my  own  personal  earninors. 
SiuLii'le  contributions  to  my  work  have  never  exceed- 
ed $1000, — except  in  one  instance,  when  President 
Jesup  of  the  American  JMuseum  of  Natural  History, 


!    I 


¥ 


Introduction 


Ivii 


1 


with  a  kindnt'ss  and  m-ncrosity  which  have  made 
mc  L'tcrnalK'  his  cU-'btor.  hftc;d  a  burden  from  Mrs. 
Peary's  shoulders  and  ck-f rayed  the  hon's  share  of  the 
exjjense  of  sendiuLj'  a  ship  north  in  1895.  Durini^ 
seven  years  I  liave  strained  every  enertj^y,  and  devoted 
ever)'  dollar  I  possessed  to  my  Arctic  efforts,  and  dur- 
inL,''  more  than  half  that  time  I  have  kept  the  Stars 
and  Strip(.'S  waving;  within  the  Arctic  Circle. 

So  unreservedly  have  the  slender  fortunes  of  Mrs. 
Peary  and  myself;  my  earninij^s  from  lectures,  and 
letters  to  newspapers  and  magazines  ;  receipts  from 
transportation  of  scientific  parties  to  Greenland,  etc., 
been  devoted  to  the  work  in  which  I  am  interested, 
that  I  am  to-day  several  thousand  dollars  in  debt.  I 
do  not  say  this  in  a  plaintive  way,  but  as  a  simple  state- 
ment of  facts  which  it  is  only  just  should  be  known. 

My  comprehensive  scheme*  for  work  in  Gri.'enland, 
as  first  outlined  by  me  in  1886,  based  upon  the  utili- 
sation of  the  Inlantl  Ice  for  ovf;rland  sledsj;"e  journeys, 
and  my  subsequent  development  and  execution,  in 
actual  practice,  of  methods,  means,  and  details,  just- 
ify me,  I  think,  in  claiminij;^  to  have  oriiji'inated  a  new 
departure  in  Arctic  work.  Since  my  origination  of 
that  departure,  Nansen  has  crossed  Greenland  ;  Con- 
way has  crossed  Spitzberj^en  ;  and  if  our  present  idea 
of  conditions  in  the  Antartic  be  correct,  it  is  entirely 
within  the  possibilities,  that  the  conqueror  of  the 
South  Pole  will  achieve  success  by  adoptini^  my 
methcKls  and  equipment.  My  lonj^  sled^'e  journey 
across  the  ice-cap  in  1892  was  a  typical  illustration  of 
my  ideas.  It  presents  my  insistent  features:  the  In- 
land Ice  for  a  road,  doi^s  for  traction,  a  party  of  two. 

I  can  claim  to  be  the  originator  of  the  idea  of  utilis- 
ing the  doo;-s  themselves  as  doj^  food.  In  the  1891-92 
Expedition,  for  the  first  time  in  Arctic  work  did  a  party 
start  out  with   the  carefully  considered   intention    of 


I 


I 


I, 


i   ■». 


1 


Vlll 


Introduction 


L:ti!isiiiL(  i\  lartjj'c^  portion  of  the  iIol^s  for  c1ol(  food,  thus 
enahhiiL;'  the  original  load  of  provisions  to  hist  for  a 
nuich  hjni/er  time  ()nl\-  h\' sonic  such  device  as  this 
was  the  proposed  march  practicable,  and  results  proved 
the  utter  soundness  of  the  principle. 

Nansen,  wluj,  while  preparini^  for  his  recent  North 
Polar  Expedition,  was  accpiainted  with  the  details  and 
methods  of  my  ice-cap  journ(;y  of  1S91-92,  through  his 
countr)'man  Astriip,  my  companion  on  that  journey, 
was  cjuick  to  sec;  the  advanta^^c.'  of  this,  and  by  adojjt- 
inij^  it,  was  enabled,  in  his  mai^nificent  attack  upon  the 
Pole,  to  keep  his  doL(s  in  the  field  for  three  months 
on  an  orii^dnal  one  month's  rations. 

The  maximum  value  of  this  equation  would  be,  that 
the  two  men  would  subsist  durinu;^  the  last  four  or  five 
days  of  their  return  march  upon  the  flesh  of  their 
last  do^-,  he  previously  having,''  eaten  all  his  comrades. 
This  maximum  value  was  nearly  reached  in  my  1895 
journey.  Previous  to  this  the  fundamcMital  principle 
of  Arctic  slcdi^ino^  was,  that  overland  travellino^  was 
impracticable,  and  that  the  sea  ice  alonii^  and  outside 
of  an  Arctic  coast  offered  the  only  possible  highway. 

In  my  various  Ivxpedilions  I  have  introduced  for 
the  first  time,  and  determined  the  feasibility  of,  sev- 
eral new  features  of  pronounced  value  to  the  Arctic 
explorer,  as  the  desii^m  for  winter  quarters,  the  use 
of  the  odometer,  baroorapji,  and  thermoLi^'raph,  the 
discarding'  of  the  hitherto  suj)posedly  indispensable 
sleepini4--l)aL;". 

The  detailed  knowledge  of  the  Smith-.Sound  re- 
o^ion  obtained  by  me  has  enabled  me  to  |)oint  out  to 
various  scientists  the  localities  most  suitable  for  their 
specialties  ;  has  permitted  one  of  the  first  olacialists 
of  the  country  (Prof,  T.  C.  Chamberlin)  to  reap,  in  a 
single  season,  a  harvest  of  information  and  original 
material  in  his  special  field,  which,  had  he  jj^one  blindly 


H 


n 


K 


I 


Introduction 


lix 


to  the  country,  he  coukl  not  have  obtained  "'n  two  or 
thrct;  years;  and  has  more  than  douhletl  tlie  amount 
of  scientific  material  and  information  from  the  Arctic 
rcLiions,  in  the  museums  of  this  country. 

There  is  also  a  phase  of  niy  work  which  has  a 
deei)ly  human  intc;rest,  and  that  is,  its  connection 
with,  and  effect  upon,  the  very  small  but  extremely 
interestiuL,^  tribe,  or  perhaps  I  miL^ht  more  pro[)erly 
say  family,  of  the  human  race, — the  little;  community 
of  Eskimos,  the  most  northerly  known  individuals  of 
the  human  race,  mmiberinn-  but  two  hundred  and 
fift)'-three,  livins^  at,  and  north  of,  Capt-  York,  com- 
pk^tely  isolated  from  all  the  rest  of  mankind  by  im- 
passable icy  barriers. 

The  effect  of  my  Expeditions  upon  those  children 
of  the  North  has  been  to  raise  the  entire  tribe  to  a 
condition  of  aflluence.  The  difference  between  their 
condition  five  years  a_no,  and  to-day,  can  perhaps  be 
best  illustrated  by  ima_L;inin_<4'  the  case  of  a  community 
or  village  of  farm-  or  day-labourers  workiuL^-  at  a 
dollar  and  a  (piarter  a  day,  and  possessinjj;'  nothiui^ 
but  their  watj^es  ;  and  then  supjjose  each  member  of 
this  community  to  have  ij^iven  him  a  furnished  house, 
and  lot,  and  a  ten-thousand-dollar  bank  account. 
Seven  years  a_oo,  many  a  man  in  this  tribe  poss(.'ssed 
no  knife,  and  many  a  woman  no  needle.  Vcw  of  the 
men  possessed  kayaks,  or  skin  canoes  ;  and  h(;  was 
indeed  well  off  who  had  a  spear-  or  harpoon-shaft 
made  of  a  single  piece;  of  wood.  To-day,  ukmi  and 
women  are  ampK'  supplied  with  knives  and  needles  ; 
every  adult  man  and  half-<j;-rown  boy  has  his  canoe  ; 
most  of  the  men  have  i^uns  ;  and  ev(;ry  hunter  is  sup- 
plied with  the  best  of  wood  for  liis  lance,  his  har- 
poon, his  seal-sj)ear,  and  his  sledge.  Tk;;  effect  of 
these  impro'.'ements  in  tiieir  weapons  has  shown  itself 
at  once  in  an  improved  C(jndition  of  the  tribe,  result- 


I 


5; 


i 


I 


11 


I 


I 


li 


V->^' 


Ix 


Iiitrocluction 


I 


h 

:ti 


i'l 


il  I 


I 


uv^  from  tlic  L^^rcat  iiicrcast;  in  tlic  (tfTcctivciK^ss  of  tlu; 
hunters.  The  people  arc  better  clolheil,  they  can  sup- 
port a  larL;"er  number  of  do^s  (their  onl\-  domestic 
animal),  and,  as  a  result  of  their  more  ami)lc!  nourish- 
ment, and  consecpient  greater  ahilit)'  to  withstand  the 
constant  hardshi|)s  of  their  life,  tlu;  death-rat(-'  has 
decreased,  and  the  birth-rate  perceptibl)-  increased, 
within  the  i)ast  six  years. 

I  feel  also  that  I  am  justified  in  thinking-  that  I  am 
largely,  if  not  almost  entirely,  responsible  for  the  pres- 
ent r(.'naissance  of  Arctic  inten^st,  which,  started  by 
my  I'^xpedition  of  1S91-92,  is  still  increasin_(^  in  vol- 
ume antl  intensit)'. 

Other  thiuLj^s  which  my  work  has  established  ar(; : 
that  louLi'  sled^-e  journe)s  may  be  undertaken  with 
safet\'  e\en  in  the  Arctic  ni^ht  ;  thiit  whit(;  men  can 
remain  in  hi,n"h  latitudes  for  lonjj^  periods  without  fear 
of  that  dread  of  Arctic  explori.-rs,  scurv)'  ;  that  very 
small  parties  are  the  only  ones  suited  for  effective 
work  in  the  Arctic  rei^ions  ;  th^it  the  work  of  north- 
ern exploration  can  be  ])rosecuted  upon  an  econom- 
ical basis,  and  that  it  can  bt;  dont;  without  loss  of  life. 

The  work,  of  which  the  followimj;'  paij^es  form  the 
narrative,',  has  been  from  the  first  [)ersistently  prose- 
cuted on  definite  and  consistent  lines  ;  and  now  that 
the  capabilities  of  the  overland  mc;thod  have  been 
practically  (;xhaust(;d  as  far  as  Northern  Greenland  is 
concerned,  the  invaluable  experience  orained  in  the 
past  is  to  be  concentrated  upon  an  equally  persistent 
effort,  on  equalh' definite  and  consistent  lines,  to  solve 
a  problem  which,  unsolved,  and  to  chart  a  portion  of 
the  earth's  surface  which,  uncharted,  are  a  reproach  to 
our  civilisation  and  manhood. 

*  *  *  -x-  *  * 

It  seems  an  appropriate  place  here  to  devote  a 
little  space  to  the  general  subject   of   sledge   equip- 


i:<^ 


iiUrotluction 


Ixi 


mt'nt.  It  is  unnecessary  to  suy  that  no  time  spent  in 
cU-'visinLi;'  ways  of  perfecting-  the  e(|iiipiii(iit  for  an 
Arctic  sledge  jouriu;}',  can  I)(;  re;^anleil  as  wasted, 
llis  ('(luipinent  is  the  <.'\plorer's  niachiner\  and  tools. 
l'|)on  its  etticiency  depends  the  amount  of  work  done, 
and  upon  its  smooth  fitness  for  its  \aried  |)urposes 
del)end  tlie  comfort  and  even  safety  of  liimsell  and 
his  men.  The  hrst  jj^reat  desid(;ratum  in  each  item 
is  non-h"al)ihty  to  damage.  Con(h'tions  in  the  tieid 
are  in\arial)l}'  hostile  to  the  work  of  re|)airs.  and  a 
part)- cannot  load  itself  down  with  tools  and  materials 
for  such  repairs.  The  next  desidciratum  is  lii^htness. 
The  transporting:  et"hcienc\-  of  any  Liiven  partN' will  he 
a  certain  amount,  made  up  of  provisions  antl  ('(piip- 
irient ;  and  for  (,'ver\'  pound  that  the  e(|uipment  can  he 
liL;htened,  an  additional  pound  of  food  can  he  carried, 
thus  insuring  an  iidditional  amount  of  travel. 

Faa7r  pniii'('/>s  in  impoitance  of  all  the  items  of 
equipme-nt  stands  the  sledL^e.  Upon  it  everythiiiL^ 
else  (.lej)ends.  It  must  comhine  in  the  hii^hest  deL,n"ee 
t\\v.  (jualities  of  lightness,  strenj^th,  and  easy  traction. 
K\ery  detail  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  and  ai)par- 
entl\-  slight  chan^^rcjs  ma)'  affect  the  effectiveness  of 
thi;  sledij^e,  as  decisiv('ly  as  a  chan^j^e  in  a  ship's  lines 
aftects  her  speed.  The  construction  of  a  sled^t-  tor 
any  particular  class  of  work,  simj)le  as  it  sc^ems,  is 
somethiuL,^  that  can  he  propc^rl)-  done  only  after  lono- 
experience,  and  the  art  of  uettin^-  the  most  out  of 
the  sledi^^e  with  the  least  expenditure  of  force  after 
it  is  constructed,  also  requires  much  experi(;nce. 

The  oeneral  character  of  the  Greenlantl  Inland 
Ice  is  such  as  to  permit  a  very  decided  i^ain  in  lii^-ht- 
ness  of  sled(i^es  over  those  for  sea-ice  work,  yet  many 
portions  of  the  ice-cap,  where  its  surface  has  been 
carved  into  sharp-ed^^ed,  marble-like  sastruoi  by  the 
furious   winds,    try   the    strength    and    endurance   of 


( 


i 


\\ 


■ 


i.iLf  afc'rpr-nLTrTTi 


Ixii 


Introduction 


I  li 


m 


m 


lii 


li  I 


sledges  to  the  utmost.  The  main  feature  in  which 
sledges  for  use  on  the  ice-cap  must  differ  from  those 
for  use  at  sea-level,  is  the  broad  llat  runner  necessary 
to  kee])  them  from  sinking-  into  the  generally  prevail- 
ing- deep,  soft  snow. 

My  previous  expc;rience  in  1886,  1891,  1892,  1893, 
and  1 894,  in  the  construction  and  use  of  sledjj^es,  had  left 
me  with  very  clear  and  dt'fmite  ideas  as  to  what  things 
were  and  what  were  not  essential  in  a  sledj^e,  and 
when  I  l)(,"_L;an  making-  the  drawings  for  the  sledges 
for  the;  forlorn-hope  journey  of  the  spring  of  1895,  I 
felt  that  I  knew  what  I  wanted.  Results  justified 
this  feeling. 

Next  after  the  sledges,  th(,'  item  of  suitable  clothing 
is  one  of  the  greatest  importance  to  the  Arctic  ex- 
plorer, and  !s  one  in  regard  to  which  there  is  great 
diversity  of  opinion  among  various  Arctic  authorities. 
Schwatka  was  in  favour  of  reindeer  clothing  exclus- 
ively, while;  (ireely  is  PiOt  a  believer  in  fur  clothing. 
The  latt(;r's  exjjeri(;nce,  however,  seems  to  have 
l)t;en  confmed  to  sealskin  garments,  which  are  not 
consitlered  by  the  natives  to  possess  any  warmth. 
j\Iy  own  experience  C()nvinc(,;s  me  that  fur  clothing 
is  absolutely  essential  in  Arctic  work,  and  that  the 
less  woollen  and  more  fur  clothing  one  wears,  as- 
suming that  it  is  ])roperly  made,  and  that  the 
wa;arer  knows  how  to  W(;ar  it,  the  more  comfortable 
will  tlu;  wearer  be.  Particularly  is  this  the  case  in 
Inland-Ice  travel,  where;  the  jjenetrating  quality  of 
the  wind  is  far  in  excc;ss  of  what  it  is  at  sea-level. 
Nothing  but  fur  and  the  impervious  integument  of 
animal  skin  will  protect  one  from  this  wind,  and  the 
traveller  who  goes  upon  the  ice-cap  without  fur 
clothing,  does  so  either  from  ignorance  or  because 
he  is  reckless  of  draughts  ui)on  his  vital  force  ;  and 
he  is    likely  seriously  to   regret   his  over-confidence. 


Introduction 


Xlll 


In  our  suits, — an  evolution  from  my  previous  experi- 
ence,—  we  were  comfortable  in  all  temperatures 
between  -60°  F.  antl  -f-50"  V.,  under  all  contlitions  of 
activity,  from  slei'pinij-  in  a  tent,  to  ^now-shoeing-  in 
deep  snow  at  the  enil  of  a  drao'  rope. 

A  tent  has  alwa}s  been  rei^arded  as  an  essential 
item  in  the  e([uipment  of  an  Arctic  sled_<j;-e-paity,  and 
thou_!j;;h  the  use  of  snow  igloos  has  been  advocated  by 
some  authorities,  these  will  never  be  practicable  for 
a  party  unaccompanied  by  natives.  In  m\'  journeys 
of  1880  and  1892  on  the  ice-cap,  I  had  no  tent,  and  the 
experience  of  those  trips  oavt;  me  no  reason  to  con- 
sider the  tent  other  than  I  had  always  done — a  super- 
tlr  )us  luxury.  In  pleasant  weather,  the  lee  of  the 
sledi^e  ;  in  storms,  a  piece  of  canvas  kept  u\)  -d^  one 
end  by  snow-shoes  stuck  in  the  snow,  or  thrown  over 
three  low  snow  walls  and  wei<^hted  down  b)-  the  sled^^e, 
had  been  sufficient. 

In  planning-  for  the  campaign  of  1894,  I  did  not 
therefore  include  a  tent  in  the  list,  thouL^h  a  :ent 
which  had  been  used  during-  the  fall  work,  and  left 
on  the  ice-cap  durini^  the  winter,  was  utilised  when 
we  reached  the  cache,  and  taken  alon<^'  from  there, 
till  I  could  set;  whether  it  was  essential  or  not.  The 
equinoctial  storm  decided  this  in  the  affirmative,  and 
showed  me  that  for  work  on  the  ice-cap  in  early 
sprinu^  a  tent  is  a  necessity.  It  was  therefore  used 
throughout  this  journey. 

When  I  took  up  the  study  of  a  tent  for  use  in  the 
1895  campaiij^n,  I  had  two  objects  in  view  :  first,  to 
reduce  the  size  and  weii^ht  to  the  minimum  consistent 
WMth  comfort  ;  and  second,  to  carry  out  an  idea  which 
had  occurred  to  me  in  1891,  of  having-  the  tent 
attached  permanently  to  a  specially  adapted  slecli^e. 
Both  these  objects  were  succt;ssfully  accomj)lished, 
and  the  tent,  as  iinally  constructed,  consisting'  of  tent, 


■^ 


II  .rigrrn 


;»'.■ 


Ix 


IV 


Introduction 


If 


tli 


'^i  i 


floor,  and  wind-iruard  for  entrance,  weiMied  thirteen 
pounds  and  met  all  the  r  'quirements  fully. 

While  the  navig'ator  of  the  ocean  uses  the  com- 
pass, the  sextant,  and  the  chronometer,  I  have  sub- 
stituted, in  navi_Li^atin<^  the  "Great  Ice,"  the  odometer 
for  the  loi^  line  and  the  aneroid  for  the  soundini^- 
lead.  From  the  indications  of  the  latter,  it  is  possi- 
ble to  chancre  the  course,  so  as  to  s^ive  the  dogs  less 
work,  and  it  also  gives  warning,  in  thick  weather, 
of  approach  to  the  dreaded  land,  between  which  and 
the  serene,  smooth  heights  of  the  interior  ice-cap,  lie 
dangerous  slopes  of  bare  blue  ice,  )awning  crevasses, 
sudden  and  furious  squalls,  and  frequent  and  violent 
storms. 

My  instrumental  outfit  for  the  journey  comprised  a 
transit,  a  sextant  and  artificial  horizon,  three  chrono- 
meters, several  compasses,  two  odometers,  three  ane- 
roids, several  thermometers,  one  pair  of  binoculars, 
and  a  camtn'a. 

The  transit,  a  small  Traveller's  by  I^auth  &  Co.,  of 
Washington,  1).  C,  was  used  in  preference  to  the 
sextant  for  ice-cap  observations,  as  with  it  latitude, 
longitude,  and  compass  variation  may  all  be  tleter- 
mined,  near  enough  for  all  practical  purposes,  by  0)3- 
servations  extending  over  two  or  three  hours.  The 
sextant  and  artificial  horizon  were  taken  simply  as  a 
reserve,  for  usci  in  case  of  accident  to  the  transit. 

Chronometers  were  pocket-size,  furnished  by  the 
E.  Howard  Watch  Company,  of  Boston.  They  were 
open-faced  stem-winders  enclosed  in  a  single  aluminum 
case,'  made  from  a  suggestion  \)y  me,  and  wert?  carried 
during  the  journey  suspended  over  my  chest,  inside 
of  my  clothing,  by  a  cord  around   my  neck.       These 

'  The  avlvmta^es  of  this  case  w  ere  a  very  consideralile  saving  of  weight,  the 
chronometers  were  subjected  to  the  same  temperature,  couhl  he  handled  as 
one,  and  lieing  side  l)y  si<le,  any  idiosyncrasies  of  either  could  be  easily  and  im- 
mediately detected  by  comparison  with  the  other  two. 


Introduction 


1 


XV 


a 


Ithe 

as 

lim- 


'it 


chronometers  were  very  satisfactory,  light,  easily 
read,  and  kept  excellent  tim  .. 

Compasses  were  a  four-mch  liquid  boat-compass, 
and  several  dry  cards,  pocket-size,  in  hunting-cases. 
The  pocket-compasses  were  used  in  the  hand  for  set- 
ting the  course  when  I  was  walking  in  advance  of  the 
party.  The  boat-compass  was  used  just  as  it  would 
be  at  sea,  lashed  upon  the  toj)  of  my  sledge,  through- 
out the  first  three  hundred  miles  of  the  northward 
journey,  when  I  was  obliged  to  keep  the  course  and 
drive  a  team  of  ten  dogs.  On  the  return,  lashed 
upon  a  pair  of  ski  and  pushed  in  front  of  me,  it  en- 
abled us  to  march  during  days  of  fog,  when  without 
it  advance  would  have  l)een  a  simple  imjjossibility. 

The  odometer  outfit  consisted  of  one  wheel  and 
two  registering  mechanisms. 

My  reconnaissance  of  the  Inland  Ice,  in  icSS6,  sug- 
gested to  me  that  the  odometer  was  a  practical  item, 
in  the  instrumental  equipment  of  the  navigator  of  the 
"  Great  Ice."  The  surface  traversed  by  me  during 
that  reconnaissance  was  everywhere,  except  at  the  ex- 
treme iitV^d  of  the  ice-cap,  entirely  suitable  for  the 
satisfactory  work  of  an  odometer  wheel,  and  the  use 
of  the  instrument  would  save  a  great  deal  of  annoy- 
ance and  arduous  work,  by  reducuig  the  number  of 
necessary  solar  observations  ;  observations  which  the 
conditions  of  the  ice-cap  render,  under  the  most  favour- 
able conchtions,  extremely  trying,  and  much  of  the 
time  impossible,  or  at  best  unscitisfactory.  The  al- 
most constant  wind  and  tlrift  make  the  use  of  the  arti- 
ficial horizon  very  difficult,  even  when  the  temperatures 
are  high  enough  not  to  affect  the  mercury  ;  and  the  same 
causes,  combined  with  the  varying  conditions  of  the 
snow  surface,  sometimes  extremely  hard,  again  very 
soft,  and  the  constant  vibrations  from  the  wind,  make 
the  use  of  the  transit  difficult. 


l!. 


m 


l( 


r 


M . 


'I 


>'«;■ 


Ixvi 


Introduction 


Refraction  and  atmospheric  vibration  are  at  all 
times  excessive  on  the  ice-cap,  and  the  extreme  bril- 
liancy of  the  sun,  even  through  the  special  ula.jse;)  of 
instruments  for  this  kind  of  work,  is  so  tryinL!^  to  eyes 
ah'eady  strained  to  their  utmost  by  the  unceasinir 
_L,dare  from  sky  and  snow,  day  and  nii^^ht,  that  the  tak- 
ini;'  of  an  observation  was  always  dreaded  by  me,  and 
usually  resulted  in  someone  else  beinii;  obli<red  to 
take;  the  lead  the  next  day,  while  I  walked  with  band- 
aij^ed  eyes  beside  the  sled^^e. 

The  compass  and  odometer  would  su})ply  a  means 
of  obtaininij;-  the  dead  reckv)nino'  with  an  accuracy  to 
render  frequent  solar  observations  unnecessary,  and 
also  show  the  traveller  at  any  time  just  his  position 
and  what  speed  he  is  makint^. 

In  the  winter  of  1891  and  1892,  the  idea  was  put 
into  practical  shape,  and  durini;-  the  ice-cap  journey 
of  1892,  an  odometer  wheel  was  used  for  the  first 
time  in  Arctic  work,  and  I  obtained  satisfactorv  re- 
suits  with  it.  Afterwards,  durino;'  1893-94,  several 
wheels  were  constructed,  and  the  evolution  of  the 
odometer  for  Arctic  work  L^radually  perfected,  until, 
when  the  matter  of  the  construction  of  a  wheel  for 
the  ice-cap  journey  of  1895  came  up,  I  was,  as  with 
the  sledoes,  in  possession  of  very  definite  ideas  as  to 
what  would  and  what  would  not  prove  satisfactory,  and 
the  result  was  a  wheel  whicli  met  all  the  demands 
upon  it/ 

My  aneroids  were  beautiful  aluminum  instruments, 
three  inches  in  diameter,  reading"  to  twelve  thousand 
feet.  Like  the  chronometers,  all  three  were  carried 
in  a  single  case,  which  permitted  convenient  compari- 
sons. 

'  This  wheel  stood  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  journey  to  Independence  Bay 
and  return,  witliout  re(iuirini^  rcjiair  of  any  kind,  and,  1  helievc,  cannot  l)e  im- 
proved upon  for  Inland-Ice  work,  except  in  as  far  as  a  wider  range  of  material 
to  select  from  would  permit  it  to  l)e  made  li^iiter. 


5    * 


Introduction 


1 


XVI 1 


;o 
id 
lis 

Is, 

id 
id 


l?ay 
Im- 


The  thermometers  were  all  of  GretMi's  usual  make  ; 
maximum  and  minimum  self-reLristerinij",  as  veil  as 
plain  mercurial  and  spirit. 

l^inoculars  were  iVcademic  Optiques  in  aluminum, 
very  lis^ht,  and  of  j^ood  power  and  definition. 

Camera  was  a  specially  constructed  EastuKUi  Kodak 
No.  4,  with  a  capacity  of  250  nejj^atives.  This  camera 
was  very  lii^ht,  stron^r,  and  in  ever)'  wa\'  satisfactory'.' 

Norweu^ian  ski,  Indian  snow-shoes,  and  the  dark- 
est of  smoked-L;lass  L^ooj^des  for  the  e}es,  were  also 
important  items  of  the  equipment. 

•H-  -A-  ->(•  •/;■  4{'  ■}!" 

It  seems  desirable  also  in  tliis  Introduction  to  at- 
tempt the  merest  outline  of  some  of  the  most  strikinjj^ 
features  of  the  .Sermiksoah,  or  "  Great  Ice," — the 
miiL^hty  frozen  boss  of  Cireenland,  the  Sahara  of  the 
North,  the  Hyperborean  Hades.  If  I  can  succeed  in 
conveyin^J'  to  the  n,'ader  even  the  crudest  conception 
of  the  personality  of  this  "  Great  Ice  "  I  shall  be 
content. 

The  term  "  Inland  Ice,"  by  which  this  feature  is 
generally  known,  suggests  to  the  majority  of  persons 
erroneous  ideas.  The  surface  is  not  ice,  but  a  com- 
pacted snow.  Elevated  as  the  entire  interior  is,  to  a 
heii^ht  of  from  4000  to  9000  feet  above  the  sea-level, 
mountains  of  the  coast  which  would  be  visible  to  the 
sailor  at  a  distance  of  sixty  to  eighty  miles,  disappear 
beneath  the  landward  convexity  of  the  ice-cap  by  the 
time  the  traveller  has  penetrated  fifteen  or  twenty 
miles  into  the  interior,  and  then  he  may  travel  for 
days  and  weeks  with  no  break  whatever  in  the  contin- 
uity of  the  sharp  steel-blue  line  of  the  horizon. 

Questions  as  to  the  characteristics  of  this  unique 

'  All  my  photographic  work,  from  whicli  the  illustrations  in  this  narrative 
are  taken,  was  done  with  the  Kaslman  Kodaks,  aT)d  (witli  very  few  exceptions) 
the  Eastman  films.     The  developing  was  done  by  Kau  ot  I'hiladelphia. 


t; 


^'x 

J 

■f 

i 

1 

,   ' 

i 

1 

tl^ 

! 

■^    i 

1 

r  TMi-r ■-. 


I     ' 


ill 


1 


XVlll 


Introduction 


terrestrial  feature,  amonsj;'  others,  whether  this  enor- 
mous deposit  of  snow  and  ice  is  increasinj^  or  decreas- 
iuL;,  or  remainins^  practically  stationary,  are  of  special 
interest  to  <reoloLrists  and  ii-lacialists. 

It  niioht  seem  at  first  thouo-ht  that  the  '*  Cireat  Ice" 
must  l)e  constantly  increasiuLi'  in  depth,  but  there  are 
causes  at  work  inimical  to  such  increase,  and  only 
investigations  carried  on  throuj^di  a  period  of  years 
can  determine  whether  the  resultant  of  these  causes 
is  i^reater  or  less  than,  or  just  balances,  the  ann'ial 
precipitation. 

Principal  amono-  these  causes  are  the  irlacie's,  the 
wind,  meltino;-,  and  evaporation.  The  former,  which 
protrude  through  every  deep  valh.-y  in  the  coast 
mountains,  discharo-e  into  the  sea  duriuLT  the  vear  an 
enormous  bulk  of  ice  from  the  lower  strata  of  the 
"  Cireat  Ice  "  of  the  interior,  in  the  shape  of  numerous 
fleets  of  icebergs. 

A  very  important  peculiarity  of  the  ice-cap  is  the 
intensit)'  of  the  light.  My  journeys  across  the  "  Great 
Ice  "  have  been  made  during  the  Arctic  summer — 
that  is,  during  the  time  that  the  sun  is  constantly  above 
the  horizon  throughout  tlie  twenty-four  hours,  for  a 
period  of  some  four  months.  The  Arctic  sun  in  clear 
weather  is  as  brilliant  as  the  sun  of  any  Southern  lati- 
tude, and  when  this  brillianc\-  is  increased  b)'  rellec- 
tion  from  an  interminable,  and  absolutely  unrelieved, 
glistening  white  surface  of  snow,  lifted  into  the  highly 
rarefied  and  pure  upper  strata  of  the  Arctic  atmo- 
si)here,  the  intensity  of  light  is  something  that  can  be 
realised  only  by  one  who  has  actually  experienced  it. 
The  pungent  (juality  of  this  blinding  glare  is  such 
that  the  strongest  eye  can  endure  it  unaided  only  for 


a  few   hours,     A 


man   [) 


•laced 


m 


th 


e    centre   o 


f  th( 


"  Great  Ice,"  in  mid-summer,  with  no  means  of  protect- 
ing his  eyes,   would  be  as  completely  helpless  at  the 


it 


Introduction 


XIX 


)e 
It. 
ch 

)r 
lie 

:t- 
lie 


^ 


end  of  a  clay  as  a  blind  kitten.  The  traveller  upon 
the  "  Great  Ice  "  must  keep  his  e\es  constantly  [)ro- 
tected  by  j^oi^^^les  of  heavy  smoked  *^lass,  and  even 
with  this  we  frecjuenth-,  when  in  camp  and  tr\inLi"  to 
sleep,  were  obliged  to  protect  our  eyes  still  further 
l)y  a  strip  of  fur  tied  across  them  to  exclude  the  lii^ht 
which  would  otherwise  penetrate;  the  closed  lids. 

Sometimes,  ihouij^h  rar(_;l\-,  cloud  shadows  drift 
across  the  white  expanse,  but  usually  the  cloud  pho 
nomena  are  the  heavy  proi)hecies  or  actualitii^s  of 
furious  storms  veiling-  the  entire  sky,  or  the  dainty 
transj)arent  cirrus  feathtirs.  In  clear  weather,  the 
travc'ller  upon  this  white  waste  sees  but  the  snow,  the 
sk)-,  the  sun.  In  cloudy  weather,  even  these  disaj)- 
pear.  Many  a  time  I  have  found  m\self  in  such 
weather  travellintr  in  Lrre\'  space,  feeliuLT  the  snow 
beneath  my  snow-shoes  but  unable  to  see  it.  Xo  sun, 
no  sk\-,  no  snow,  no  horizon — absolutely  nothinij^  that 
the  e\e  could  rest  upon.  Zenith  and  nadir  alike, 
an  intaULrible  irreN'  nothin^nejss.  Mv  fe'et  and  snow- 
shoes  were  sharp  and  clear  as  silhouettes,  and  I  was 
sensible  of  contact  with  the  snow  at  every  stc^p,  yet 
as  far  as  niy  t;yes  L^ave  me  evidence  to  the  contrar\-, 
I  was  walking;  upon  nothing-.  The  sj)ace  betwecMi 
ni)-  snow-shoes  was  e([ually  as  lii^ht  as  the  zenith. 
The  opa(|ue  li.nht  which  filled  the  sphere  of  vision 
miijht  come  from  below  as  well  as  above.  Never 
shall  I  foro-et,  thousj^'h  I  cannot  dt:scribe,  the  impres- 
sions made  b)'  these  surroundings.  The  strain,  both 
physical  and  mental,  of  this  blindness  with  wide-{)j)en 
eyes  was  such  that  after  a  time;  I  would  be  obliged 
to  stop  until  the  passing-  of  the  foL;',  or  formation  of 
higher  clouds,  L^ave  me  somethin<r  to  keep  the  course 


by 


rhe  wind  is  never  quiescent  on   the  "  Great  Ice. 


/m 


Day  and  night,  summer  and  winter,  )'ear  in  and  year 


.1 


Ix: 


X 


Introduction 


n 


^1 


!t> 


f'M 


,1 ' ' 


n 


out,  it  is  s\v('('i)in^'  down,  sometimes  with  jjjreatcr, 
somctiiViC's  with  less  vclocitN',  from  the  fro/cii  heart  of 
thi;  "(ireat  ke,"  l)earin_n'  with  it  a  burden  of  snow 
and  following- the  most  chrect  slope  to  the  lantl,  whicli 
once  reacli(!d  it  j^oes  rushing-  over  the  mountain  sum- 
mits, some  of  it  sinking'  in  whirl[)ools  and  edches  into 
the;  valleys,  hut  much  of  it  heiuLT  carried  on  to  the 
coast-rliHs,  over  which  it  s^oes  swirlini^  into  the  sea  or 
onto  tlu;  sea  ice.  Durint^"  ^tj^entk;  breezes  this  drift  is 
of  almost  im|)ali),ibk;  fineness,  and  extends  but  a  foot 
or  two  above  the  surface.  As  tlu;  wind  increases  in 
force,  the  particles  c-f  snow  bec(jme  coarser  and  the 
dt;i)th  of  the  current  of  ll)inu^  snow  increases  until,  in 
the  savai^e  bhz/ards  of  the  frozen  Sahara,  this  ilrift 
becomes  a  roarini^,  hissinL,^  blindinc^,  suffocating-  Xia^-- 
ara  of  snow,  rising'  hundreds  of  feet  into  the  air  ;  a 
drift  which  almost  instantly  buries  any  (juiescent  ob- 
ject, and  in  which  it  is  almost  impossible  for  the 
traveller  to  breathe.  This  drifting'  snow  is  as  pene- 
i^'itino-  as  w^ater.  When  the  depth  of  the  drift  is  not 
m  excc^ss  of  the  hei<rht  of  the  knee,  its  surface  is  as 
tangible,  and  almost  as  sharply  defined,  as  that  of  a 
sheet  of  water,  and  its  incessant  dizzy  rush  and  strid- 
ent sibilation  become,  when  Ioul;'  contiued,  as  mad- 
deniuij;'  as  the  drop,  drop,  drop  of  water  on  the  victim's 
head  in  the  old  torture-rooms. 

There  is  no  doubt  in  ni)-  mind  but  that  in  the 
middle  of  the  Arctic  ni^ht,  in  the  centre  of  this  "  Great 
Ice,"  lifted  a  mile  and  a  half  or  two  miles  into  the 
frozen  air  that  sweeps  around  the  pole,  separated 
from  any  possible  effect  from  the  earth's  radiated 
heat  b)'  a  blanket  of  ice  and  snow  a  mile  or  more  in 
thickness,  and  distant  fully  tw^o  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  from  the  possible  ameliorating  effect  of  the 
Arctic  seas,  there  is  to  be  found  the  fiercest  dei^ree 
of  cold  of  any  spot  upon  the  surface  of  the  g'lobe. 


M  ; 


J 


Introduction 


Ixxi 


Tlic  cliaractcristics  of  such  portions  of  ilw.  Inland 
Ice  as  came  under  nu'  personal  observation,  in  iSSb, 
in  from  the  head  of  Disco  P)a\',  may  be  stated  as  fol- 
lows. Tlu:  coastdine  shows  a  _ij^reat  diversity  of  feat- 
ures, depcMident  upon  the  altitutle,  tlu;  season,  and 
the  ek^vation  and  cont"i«;uration  of  the  adjacent  mount- 
ains. W'luM'ever  tlu;  ice  projects  down  a  \alle\- 
in  a  lon^"  toni^ue  or  stream,  tlu;  eil^i^s  contract  and 
shrink  away  from  the  warnu-r  rocks  on  <-ach  side, 
leaviuL^;  a  dee|)  canoi.  between,  usuall)'  occupied  1)\-  a 
_L,daci(;r  stream  ;  and  the  uppc;r  surface,  disinteL^rated 
by  the  r(;llected  heat  from  the  nu)untains  above,  and 
shattered  I)\'  the  daily  change  of  temperature  nu)re 
perhaps  than  by  the  forward  llow,  presents  a  chaotic 
labyrinth  of  cre\asses,  gullies,  and  raj^^^ecl  pinnacles, 
increasiuLj;-  in  ma^nitutle  in  direct  proportion  to  the 
length  of  th(;  to:i^iie  antl  its  approach  to  the  seadevel. 
vSmaller  tongues  or  teats,  roundin^j;'  ilown  into  shallow 
indentations  in  the  crest  of  the  mountain  dam,  are 
aj)t  to  have  only  their  tii)s  ra_L^L^ed  antl  their  ui)])(;r 
surfaces  covered  with  a  lu-twork  of  narrow  crevasses. 
Higher  up,  aloni^  the  unbroken  portions  of  tlu;  dam, 
where  the  rocks  have  a  southern  exposure  or  rise 
much  above  the  ice,  there  is  apt  to  b(;  a  det;j)  canon 
bc;tween  the  ice  and  the  rocks.  The  bottom  of  the 
caiion  is  almost  invariably  occupied  by  wat(;r.  \\du;re 
there  are  no  adjacent  rocks  hi!.dier  than  the  ice  to 
push  it  back  with  their  reflected  heat,  tlu;  ic(;  will 
reach  down  upon  the  rocks  in  a  donu;-lik(;  slope. 
Fre(]uently  drifts  of  tine  hard  snow  extend  like  cause- 
ways from  ice  to  rock,  through  the  bases  of  which  the 
littoral  olacier  streams  tunnel  a  i)assan(;.  Still  farther 
up,  at  the  very  crest  of  the  dam,  the  ice  lies  snu)othly 
a_^-ainst  the  rocks.  As  to  the  features  of  the  interior 
beyond  the  coastdine,  the  surface  of  the  "  ice-blink  " 
near   the   margin    is   a   succession   of    rounded    hum- 


1 


i 


\\  i 


I 


u 


I  ?' 


h 


XXIl 


Introduction 


i:  1 1 


mocks,  steepest  and  hii^rlu-st  on  their  hiiidward  sides, 
wliich  arti  sometimes  precipitous.  I'arther  iii,  tlii>e 
hummocks  mer<^e  into  h)n!^"  llat  swells,  which  in  turn 
decrease:  in  height  towards  the  interior,  until  at  last 
a  llat,  n'cntly  rising  plain  is  reached,  which  becomes 
ultimately  level. 

in  passin_L(  from  the  mari^in  of  the  "  ice-blink"  to 
the  remote  interior,  from  one  to  five  distinct  zones 
ma)  be  notctl.  the  iiumber  and  width  varying;'  with 
the  season,  the  1  ititude,  and  the  elevation.  In  win- 
ter the  I'Utire  surface  is  undoiibt-'dly  covered  with  a 
deep  unbroken  la\er  of  tinv  dry  snow.  Late  in  the 
s[)rin!L;',  the  warmth  of  the  sun  at  mid-d<i)-  softens  the 
surface  of  the  snow  alon^'  the  low  borders  of  the  ict;, 
and  this  freezes  at  niidit,  forminu-  a  lii>ht  crust. 
C"irath"'dl\'  this  crust  extends  up  the  interi(»r,  and  with 
the;  advance  of  the  season,  the  snow  iiloni;-  the  bor- 
ders of  the  "  ice-blinl"  becomes  saturated  with  water. 
A  little  later,  this  zone  of  slusli  follows  the;  zone  of 
crust  into  the;  interior,  the  snow  alon^"  the  borders  of 
the  "  ice-blink  "  melts  entirely,  forming-  pools  in  the 
de|)ressions,  anci  streams  which  cut  deep  s^uUies  in 
the  ice  ;  water  cavities  form  ;  old  crevasses  open,  and 
new  onc;s  ai)pear.  This  zone  rapidly  widens  .did  ex- 
tends into  the  interior  in  the  footsteps  of  the  others, 
and  behind  it  the  immediate  border  of  the;  ice  i;ets 
rai;'!4t;d  and  soiled,  pebbles,  b(;i:lders,  and  moraines 
crop  out  of  its  ineltlnL;  surface,  an  1  by  the  end  of  the 
Arctic  summer  it  is  eaten  and  shattered  by  the  heat, 
and  eroded  by  the  streams,  into  impassal)!e  roughness. 

In  my  journey  of  iNi^  i,  across  the  ice-cap  of  North- 
ern Cireenland,  on  the  uj)ward  march,  in  my  effort 
not  to  make  any  more  eastin^'  than  was  absolutely 
necessarv,  1  was  repeatedl\-  turned  from  m\'  course 
l)y  the  unexpected  penetration  of  the  glacier  basins 
of  the  great  fjords  of  the  nortii-west  coast  into  the 


Introduction 


Ixxiii 


interior,  and  in  this  way  cxixjritmced  mucii  delay  and 
ann()\anc(.'.  On  my  rctmMi  the  same;  )i'ar,  I  went 
well  into  the  interior  to  avoid  these;  ()i)stacles.  In 
tliis  I  succeeded.  W'itii  two  routes  iiaviuL,^  the;  same 
starting'  and  objective  i)oints,  and  enclosini^  hi:tween 
them  an  eU)nL;atc;d  elliptical  area,  it  was  evident  that 
an  intermediate  route  on  my  next  journey  would  not 
oidy  he  sonic:what  shorter,  hut  would  avoid  tin;  cre- 
vasses and  steep  slopes  of  the  one  route,  and  tin,' 
dee[)  soft  snow  of  the  other.  This  I  founil  to  be  the 
fact,  and  after  the  experience;  of  the  upward  journey 
I  was  able  to  modif\'  the  return  route  still  more,  with 
a  saviuLj;"  of  a  few  miles  and  an  improvement  in  the 
travellinL!^.  A  comparison  of  the  four  profik;s  between 
Whale  .Sound  ami  Ind(;[)end(;nce  Ha\'  is  very  inte'rest- 
injj;-,  and  brings  out  the  relief  of  the;  "  (ireat  Ice"  in  a 
very  clear  mannc^r,  showintj^  that  it  is  really  a  ve  ry 
much  flattened  mountain  s)stem  in  ice,  with  its  main 
backbone,  its  radiant  spurs,  and  its  int(;rmediate 
vall(;ys. 

The  broad  zone  of  wastai^t;  which  I  found  so  pro- 
nounced at  the;  head  of  Disco  P)a)'  is  very  narrow, 
and  even  in  places  lacking;-  entirely,  alonn'  the  edi^e  of 
the  ice-cap  hi  Northern  (ireenland.  The  nunataks 
also,  so  common  in  .South  (ireenland,  occur  in  North- 
ern Greenlantl,  as  far  as  my  observations  l^o,  only  in 
the  actual  current  of  the  L,daciers  and  the  low(;r  por- 
tion of  their  basins,  and  never  at  any  distance  from 
the  coastal  land  ribbon. 

]My  first  jour  ^y  was  near  enoui^h  to  the  cdin^v.  of  the 
ice  to  cross  the  "eat  basins  of  exudation,  if  I  may  use 
the  term,  and  '  .jir  intermediate  divides,  and  the  i)ro- 
tile  shows  a  succc  sion  of  uj)s  and  downs  like  those  of 
a  railroad  located  alonj^  the  foothills  of  a  mountain 
system.  The  prohle  of  the  return  journey  of  the 
same  year  shows  but  one  depression,  and  that  in  the 


v« 


(I'l 


, 


"  t 


r 


f  , 


XXIV 


Introduction 


Iliiinlj(jkll  l^asiii.  The  profiles  of  tlu' two  journeys 
of  iSc)4  arc  itlcal  in  that  they  show  a  rapid  ascent  from 
B()W(h)in  Ua)  to  tht;  surface  of  the  central  ice  mass, 
and  then  a  gradual  i^HMdient  rdoni;  the  western  slope 
of  tlu!  continental  divide  till  the  summit  is  reached, 
near  Independence  liay,  wlu-n  the  tlescent  is  rapid  to 
the  ed^x:  of  the  ice. 

That  the  crest  of  tlu-  (ireenland  continental  ice  di- 
vide is  east  of  the  country's  median  line  there  can  he 
no  doubt.  Where  it  is  crossed  on  the  way  to  Inde- 
pendence Hay,  it  is  trendiiiL^-  away  to  the  north-west 
and  rajjidly  decreasing-  in  altitude  to  lose  itself  in  the 
landward  slopes  of  the  "Great  Ice"  near  tlu;  con- 
vergence of  \  ictoria  Inl(.;t  and  the  north-west  coast. 
rVom  this  continental  divide  extend  s'purs  into  the 
Ca])(!  \'()rk  Peninsula,  Prudhoe  Land,  Washington 
Land,  Hall  Land,  etc.,  anil  betweiMi  these  divides 
are  the  enormous  basins  which  fee'd  the  <^laciers  of 
Melville  Bay,  Ini^lefield  (iulf,  Kane  Basin,  Petermann 
and  Sherard-Osborne  P'jords. 

The  experienced  navi^^ator  of  tlu-  "  Great  Ice  "  has, 
like;  his  brother  of  the  sea,  tlu?  means  of  avoidinij^  or 
overcomini^  adverse  conditions.  If  he  has  come  in 
too  close  proximity  to  the  lantl,  /.c,  the  vxVji^c  of  the 
ice,  and  fmds  himself  amonpr  the  rocks  and  breakers, 
i.e.,  crevasses  and  steep  blue  ice  slopes,  he  must  jjut 
to  sea  at  once,  i.e.,  swerve  into  the  interior.  If  when 
well  out  to  sea  he  encounters  continuous  adverse  winds 
and  currents  and  heavy  sea,  i.e.,  up  j^^rade  and  deep 
soft  snow,  he  can  avoid  them  by  veerinir  toward  the 
shore,  when  he  will  at  once  reduce  the  i^rade,  and  in  a 
short  time  reach  hard  L!;oin(^. 

The  rej^ularity  of  the  winds  of  the  "  Great  Ice  "  of 
Greenland,  as  I  have  found  them  duriuLi;^  an  actual  so- 
ourn  of  over  seven  moni 
visits  to  it  of  greater 


J 


ths  upon  the  "  Great  Ice."  and 

th 


ipon 
less  duration  in  every 


s 


mon 


llUiocliictloll 


l.wv 


of  llu:  year,  is  phciioimiial.  Mxccpt  tlurinL;  aliiio- 
s|)luric(listurl)aiu:(S  of  iiiuisual  iiia,niiilii(l<'.\\  hich  cause 
storms  to  swiH'i)  across  the  country  re^^ardless  of  ordi- 
nary rules,  the  chrc^ction  of  the  wiiid  of  the  "(ireat 
IcM'  "  of  (iretMiland  is  invarial)Iy  raihal  from  the  centre 
outward,  perpenchcular  to  the  nearest  part  of  the  coast 
land  ril)l)on.  So  steady  is  this  wind  and  so  closely 
does  it  adhere  to  this  perpendicularity,  that  I  can  liken 
it  only  to  the  llow  of  a  shei:t  of  water  desceiuHn''  the 
slopes  of  the  "(ireat  Ice"  from  the  central  interior 
dome  to  the  coast.  The  dirc^ction  of  the  nearest  land 
is  always  easil\-  determinahle  in  this  wa\  :  the  neiijh- 
hourhood  of  Ljreat  fiords  is  alwa\s  indicated  by  a  chan<'e 
in  tile  wind's  direction  ;  and  ilu-  crossine'  of  a  di\  ide, 
hy  an  arc^a  of  calm  or  yarial)le  winds,  followed  1)\-  wiiuls 
in  the  opposite  direction,  independent  of  any  indica- 
tions of  the  barometer. 

The  opinion  was  achanced  by  me  immediately  on 
m\'  return  in  iS()2,  that  tht*  transi)ortinL;'  elfc'Ct  of  the 
wind  upon  tlu;  snow  of  the  ice-caj)  must  be;  counted 
as  one  of  the  most  potent  factors  in  i)reyentin<^  the  in- 
crease in  heiL,d"it  of  the  ice-cap  ;  a  factor  e(pial  perhaps 
to  the  combint'd  c:Hects  (jf  eyaporation,  littoral  and 
sub-u^lacial  meltini^",  and  oiacia!  discharge.  This  opin- 
ion has  betMi  corroborated  and  ^reath-  strem^thened 
by  my  later  obseryations.  When  it  is  remembered 
that  the  How  of  the  atmosphere  from  tlu;  cold  heights 
of  the  interior  ice-cap  to  the  lower  land  of  the  coast  is 
Lj^oini;-  on  throul^dlout  the  year  with  greater  or  less  in- 
tensity, and  that  a  fine  sheet  of  snow  is  bein^"  thus 
carried  beyond  the  ice-cap  to  the  ice-free  land  at  eyery 
foot  of  the  periphery  of  the  ice-cap,  there  to  melt,  it 
^yill  perhaps  h(j  seen  that  the  aboye  assumption  is  not 
excessiye.  I  feel  confident  that  an  inyesti^ation  of 
the  actual  amount  of  this  transfer  of  snow  by  the;  \yind 
is  well  W(jrth  the  attention  of  all  iflacialists. 


1. 


--'""  ■  •-  -  •— rffTi 


it 


II I 


U  1.1. 


Ixxvi 


Introduction 


The  character  of  the  "  Cii  eat  Ice  "  is  such  as  to  make 
a  powerful  impression  upon  even  the  most  prosaic 
minJ.  When  I  think  of  it  I  rarely  recall  the  hunj^er, 
the  coM,  the  killino^  work,  the  disappointments  I  have 
experienced  upon  it.  Rather  do  I  think  of  it  in  its 
varying-  phases,  as  one  of  the  sublimest  features  that 
earth  contains.  1  har])our  malice  at^ainst  it  for  hut  one 
thini;',  the  lives  of  ni)'  doo;s. 

4!-  •>;-  ■>^  -x-  ^  •"- 

And  finally  a  few  words  in  regard  to  Arctic  Ex- 
ploration, r'rom  tlie  earliest  days,  when  men  dreamed 
of  the  ever-sunny  lulen  of  the  Hyijerboreans  far  be- 
yond the  land  of  the  Antroj)ophaL;"i,  till  now,  he 
reiil'ion  within  that  mai^ic  line  which  bounds  the  north- 
ern disk  of  midnight  suns  and  noonday  nights, — the 
Arctic  Circle — has  exercised  a  strange  charm  over  men 
antl  women  of  all  intellects,  all  a^es,  all  conditions  of 
life. 

In  exploration,  as  in  business,  a.T  in  kitters,  as  in 
invention,  conditions  are  entirely  different  now  from 
\vhat  they  were  years  iv^o.  It  is  no  longer  possible 
for  the  confines  of  the  well-known  to  be  attained  by  a 
dash  either  mental  or  physical.  The  da)s  when  a 
Cialileo  or  a  Columbus  could  in  a  bound  reach  and 
pass  be)ontl  the  narrow  circumference  of  the  world  of 
mind  or  matter  at  any  point  are  past.  Arctic  exj)lor- 
ation  must,  like  any  hino'  else,  be  made  a  business 
and  carried  on  from  year  to  year,  prohtin^'  by  each 
added  item  of  experience,  taking  advantage  of  every 
occurring  opportunity. 

The  two  great  popular  objections  to  Arctic  explora- 
tions seem  to  be  the  waste  of  mone)'  connected  with 
it,  and  the  supposedly  excessive  loss  of  life.  It  would 
seem  from  the  emphatic  utterances  of  sonu;  who  decry 
what  they  consider  a  waste  of  money  on  Arctic  work, 
that  they  are   under  the   impression   that   the  money 


Introduction 


Ixxvii 


expended  upon  an  Arctic  expedition  is  taken  north  and 
buried  in  the  snow,  becoming-  an  absolute  and  total 
loss.  It  seems  to  be  forgotten  that  the  supplies  and 
equipments  of  these  expeditions  are  purchased  and 
])aid  for  at  home,  and  that  they  contribute  to  the  sup- 
port of  a  certain  number  of  people  for  a  certain  time, 
as  much  as  if  those  people  were  livinir  at  home. 

The  other  objection,  that  Arctic  work  means  too 
great  a  sacrifice  of  life,  loses  its  force  in  the  li^ht  of 
actual  facts.  To  those  familiar  with  the  literature  of 
Arctic  explorations,  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the 
loss  of  life  in  this  held,  even  including-  those  c;xpetli- 
tions  which  have  disappeared  utterly  and  completeh'  in 
the  savai^e  fastnesses  of  the  "White  North,"  amounts 
to  but  about  two  per  cent,  of  the  total  numb(.;renoa<4'ed 
in  the  work,  a  percentage  less  than  that  of  the  annual 
loi^s  of  life  among  the  Fishermen  antl  sailors  of  the 
British  Isles.  During  my  own  work  of  the  past 
eleven  years  but  one  life  has  been  lost,  and  that  was 
the  result  of  an  accident  in  no  way  connected  with 
the  work  itself,  an  accident  which  would  have  been 
likely  to  occur  in  thv.  Alps  or  in  any  )f  our  own  wild 
mountainous  districts. 

My  experience  has  strongly  accentuated  my  belief 
in  small  parties  for  Arctic  work.  The  results  obtained 
b\-  Cjraah,  Rae,  Hall,  Schwatka,  Cireely,  and  otlu;rs, 
were  obtained  b)  parties  of  two  or  three.  Many  of 
the  sad  disasters,  which  form  a  part  of  Arctic  his- 
tory, would  have  been  avoideil  had  the  jjarties  be'en 
small.  It  is  a  popular  fallacy  that  there  is  safety  in 
large  parties.  The  entire  animus  of  the  Arctic  regions 
is  against  such  parties,  and  in  the  event  of  their  being 
thrown,  either  temporarily  or  permanently,  upon  ihv, 
resources  of  the  country  for  sustenance,  an  occurrence 
that  is  one  of  the  most  certain  of  Arctic  possibilities, 
the  members  of  such  large  parties  will  starve,  where 


II 


y 


I 


I 


4 

:'il 


I 


i 


Ix: 


XVI 11 


Introduction 


III 


II 


\i 

1  - 

i  '■  ^ 

1 

'■'i 

■'  1^ 

V 

■'  i 

f 

h 

■ 

a  small  party  would  have  abundant  rations.  A  cow- 
ard also,  a  weakling',  or  an  insubordinate,  has  better 
opportunity  to  cause  demoralisation  in  a  lar^e  than 
in  a  small  part)-.  In  the  Franklin  expedition  of  one 
huntlred  and  thirt}-eiL;ht,  not  one  lived  to  tell  the 
story  of  their  awful  final  days,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  that  the  utter  loss  of  that  expedition  was  due 
directly  to  its  size.  As  lono-  as  everything-  o-0(;s  well, 
a  lar^e  part)'  may  be  all  ris^ht,  but  in  the  hour  of  dis- 
aster or  serious  disappointment,  the  trouble  begins. 
Nothini^  can  be  more  terrible  than  the  retreat  and 
struu'Lile  for  life  with  a  lar^-e  party  under  the  fearful 
stress  of  the  Arctic. 

It  is  impossible  for  a  leader,  no  matter  how  able  he 
may  be,  to  fill  a  lar^e  party,  as  he  can  a  small  one, 
with  his  own  courajj^-e  and  hopefulness.  Every  intli- 
vidual  in  the  party  represents  a  drain  upon  the  vital 
ma_L;-netism  and  force  of  the  leader,  upon  whom  the 
safet)-  of  the  part)'  depends.  Up  to  a  certain  point 
his  exam|)le  is  conta^dous,  and  his  cheerfulness,  activ- 
ity, and  courage  are  reflected  in  every  member  of  the 
party  ;  but  when  day  after  day  of  arduous  struo-^lc, 
of  cold,  of  hunger,  and  of  discouragement,  has  reduced 
the  strength,  both  physical  and  mcMital,  the  infusion 
of  fresh  courai^e  into  a  desjjontlino-  one  requires  as 
tani^dble  a  transfer  of  the  leader's  stamina  and  nerve- 
force,  as  the  fillinLr-  of  a  vessel  with  water  from  a  res- 
ervoir, and  the  reservoir  in  this  case  does  not  retill  as 
raj)idly  as  untU^r  normal  conditions. 

To  those  who,  in  the  absence  of  a  dollar-for-dollar 
return  for  every  eftort,  ask,  "  Of  what  earthly  use  is 
Arctic  exploration  ?  "  I  miLj-ht  answer  :  "  Wdiat  is  the 
use  of  yacht  races,  of  athletic  contests,  of  trials  of  en- 
i^ines,  and  war-ships,  or  any  of  the  innumerable  tests 
that  have,  since;  the  world  was  younjj^,  been  man's  only 
means   of  determinino-    the   superiority  of  one  man. 


' 


Introduction 


Ix 


XXIX 


or  oik;  machine,  or  oik;  method,  or  one  nation,  over 
an()thc;r?"  Were  I  asked  to  enumerate  all  the  [jos- 
sihle  advantaL;es  of  Arctic  explorations,  1  should  say 
frankl)'  I  cannot  do  so,  any  more  than  I  or  anyone 
could  have  said,  hfteen  or  t\vent\-  years  a_L;-o,  that  an 
insiL^nihcant  i^rass  L;ro\vii\L;"  on  the  hanks  of  a  tropical 
ri\er  would  make  our  incandescent  electric  liL^ht  a  possi- 
bilit)'.  It  would  not  he  at  all  strange  if,  in  a  region  of 
the  stranj^est  contrasts,  \vlK;re  active  xolcanoes  are 
found  surrounded  by  eternal  snow  and  ice,  and  where 
the  poppy — sNinhol  of  warmth  and  sleep  and  luxury — 
blossoms  at  tlK;  very  foot  of  the  craiii's  of  icy  glaciers, 
some  material  were  found  which  would  make  possible 
some  \et  unknown  necessit\' of  our  future;  civilisation. 

lUit  suppose  we  admit  that  Arctic  exploration  is  only 
a  matter  of  sentiment,  with  no  mone)-  r<.;turn  ;  no  in- 
cr(;asc;  of  commerce  ;  no  fruit  of  colonisation  ;  no  har- 
vest of  i^reat  i^ood  for  many  men.  L(;t  it  stand  as  a 
sentiment  ;  it  has  o'ood  compan\-.  Lo\e  and  patriot- 
ism and  relis^ion  are  matters  of  sentinK;nt,  and  we  ask 
no  money  return  for  them. 

Vet  a  question  which  claimed  the  lives  of  such  men 
as  Kane,  Hall,  I)e  Loni;",  Chipp,  and  Lockwood,  of 
our  own  countrymen,  and  Franklin,  I^ellot,  Crozier, 
and  many  more  from  across  the  water,  and  has  in- 
spired the  pens  of  Markham,  Petermann,  Harrow,  Mel- 
ville, and  others,  needs  no  apologies  or  defence. 
There  are  no  pages  of  Knoland's  history  on  which 
she  prides  herself  more  than  those  on  which  are  in- 
scribed the  work  and  the  discoveries  of  her  sons 
within  the  realm  of  noonday  nights  and  midnight 
suns,  and  there  is  no  American  that  is  not  proud  of 
the  records  of  I)e  Haven,  Kane,  Hayes,  Hall,  I  )e 
Long,  Greely,  Lockwood.  and  .Schley. 

Whatever  may  be  saitl  against  Arctic  exploration, 
it  remains  a  definite  fact,  that  no  other  portion  of  the 


11 


t' 


6  :\  -i 


:i'i»s 


Ixx 


X 


Introduction 


L^lobti  possesses  such  universal  attraction  for  yount^ 
and  old,  illiterate  and  intellij^ent,  weak  and  stronLr,  as 
this.  And  one  thing^  is  as  certain  as  that  the  North 
Star  will  continue  to  shine :  re^^ardless  of  utility  or 
non-utility,  the  inherent  charm  of  Arctic  work,  and 
the  irreprv,ssible  restlessness  of  the  human  animal  as 
louLi'  as  there  rema;  is  a  corner  of  the  earth  unknown 
to  him,  will  keep  up  efforts  in  the  "  White  North  " 
till  every  square  mile  of  s(,'a  and  land  has  been 
charted. 


!•• 


u    I. 


PART  I. 

RECOXXAISSAXCK    OF    THK    (JRKKXLAXn    IXLAXi)    ICE, 

1886. 

ST.  John's  to  (h-ohavn  on  t„k  Whalkk  A-„;.^-(;„„havn  to  I-vk,tsok 

^JU.U.  ,N  .NO,,M.VK-EASTU-.KnoVKKTn..:In.:.,..,._;.ooFK,.,T.,:oV,.  THK 
S^.A-^A.K  TO  THK  [,AN„-SAn.,N.  ...UN  THK  In.:.S,.o..KS-FoKTV  M  U  ,•  S 

oJk^;.'  '"'■",""  ''■"^-'-•■■^-  V>u.,-ArKoss  THK  Dask  ok  Xo,k- 

SOAK  iKN.Nsn.A-lM.SS,,,  B.„S  oK  A  TANKKKK  ,  „.,  K  -  A  ,:oA  .  , .  THK  A.v. 

-:,r.;:':  ^t^  "^"'^'^ i^^v-dkxtkkkkv hak,:o,.._<...k  a,:.  _ 


THK      S.VVA„K     WkST     CoAST-A      PkaVKK,.      ^V„A^K-XA,,VKS-,!KU..-^N 
AkcTIC    HlKRlrANE-CrMHKKKAM.    SoKNO- F;.  ;in 

I"  Sr.   F'Hin's. 


^1       I 


f  ^ 


i.Nt;    lOK    I.IIiKRTV  — liACI' 


-»^--l»..i^-.-»,„-^ 


ii' 


!}: 


l'     ■  i 


ON  THE  GREAT  ICE. 


I, 


PART   I. 


KKCONNAISSAXCH  Ol'    rilK  ( .Kl'.l.M.AX  1)  IM.AXD  KK,    I  SS6. 


T 


for 


111'.     Navy    Depart- 
ment haxiiii^-  grant- 
ed  iii\-  ai)|)licati()n 
lea\'e,     I     made     tlic 
necessar\-      arraiiL^'ements 
and  left  Sydne\-.  C.  P).,  on 
the    steam    whaler    /:ao/i\ 
Cai)tain  jaekman,  Master, 
late  in   Ma}-,   i  <SS6. 

'Idle  northward  xoyai^e 
to  (ireenland  was  one 
of  intense  intere'st  and 
novelty  to  mv..  i  he  masterly  wa\'  in  which  the 
/ufil'/r's  solid  iron-clad  bow  was  handled  hy  Jackman 
to  smash  a  i)assaL,a'  through  the  earh-season  ice  of 
Davis  Strait  was  a  rexclation.  and  the  bracing- air,  the 
daylight  o'rowin<_;-  till  the  whole  twenty-four  hours 
were  brilliant  in  sunlight,  and  the  (MidU^ss  succession 
of  contrasts,  make  the  \()ya_L;"e  a  neNcr-to-be-for^otten 
memory. 

( )ne  day  a  continuous  succession  of  L;rindinL;-.  shiver- 
ino-  shocks  as  the  /:ao/c'  rammed  the  ice  ;  a  constant 
st()j)pini;-  and  backin_^^^  then  i^oin-^'  ahead  ai^ain  ;  a  con- 
tinual rattlint,^  of  the  rudder-chains  as  tb.c;  h(-lm  was 
hurled  port,  stcirboard,  then  port  ai^ain  ;  and  a  contin- 
ual cry  from  the   man  in  the  crow's-nest  conning"  the 

3 


rv.\ 


■  ~f 


■,, 


/ 


in  i, 


'    I 


4  Nort!n\:ircl  oxer  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

ship  ;  tlic  nc\i,  tlic  ship  rolliiiL;'  and  pitchini;'  as  if 
mad.  tile  decks  awash  with  water,  and  tlie  h)ani  and 
si)ra\-  drivini;'  ()\-er  tlie  rail  and  across  the  companion- 
way  in  a  hhnch'n^'  (h'ift  of  snow,  while  o\-erhead  the 
ri_L;"_L;in^-  was  shriekint;-  and  the  sta\-sails  tense  as  iron 
in  a  wild  north-e;isterl\'  ij'ale. 


INSPECTOR  NEILS  ANDERSEN. 

Nortli  Cirecnlaixl  Inspcctoiatc. 


'  .) 


Perhaps  the  next  day  the  Eao/cs  deck  was  as  level 
as  a  tloor,  though  the  whole  ship  was  vihratini;"  with 


h^ 


RcconiKiissancc  of  1886  5 

the  hum  of  ihc  trosicd  riL;L;iiiL;'  oxi'rhcad,  while  just 
al)()\c  the  crow's-iu'st  s|)ri'a(l  a  hfc^lcss  donic  of  lead  ; 
to  leeward  a  sea  of  ink,  hlacker  \cl  1)\  coiUriist 
with  the  spra)'  cut  from  the  waxes  and  whirled  and 
beaten  into  snow-llakes.  rising;' in  the  distance'  lo  meet 
a  sk\'  hlack  as  itselt  ;  close  to  windward  a  soh'd  grind- 
ing' white  pack  impri-^oning  two  or  three  huge  spec- 
tral l)e  ';s,  and  ahoxc  it  a  n;irrow  hand  ot  light,  the 
"ice-h  ik."  like  a  long,  low,  mid-winter  sunset,  or  ihe 
frost)  LW'o-edged  hhule  ot  a  \  iking. 

Idven  runniivj-  out  ol  the  h>g  and  storm,  we  would 
enter  a  rippling  s.'a  ol  sapphi;'>'  and  gold,  with  an  ex- 
(juisite  mackerel  sk\'  al)o\c,  and  here  and  there  a  hei'g 
gl''am;ng  hhr  and  rose  In  the  level  ra\s  ol  tlie  mid- 
night sun. 

|une  0th,  the  /ui-^'/r  left  me  at  ("iodha\n  and 
steamed  awa\'  tor  the  northern  whaling  grounds. 
Merc;  1  was  obliged  lo  wail  two  weeks  lor  the  ice  to 
clear  out  of  i  ).  U()  \\[\\ .  i  )iii'ing' tlu'se  iwo  weeks  the 
weather  wa.~.  sutticientlx'  \cU*iegated  to  suit  the  most 
cai)ricious  tanc\.  Rain,  snow,  tog,  w  uid,  calm,  ti"opi- 
cal  sunshine;,  aiul  freezing  cold,  all  placed  their  j)arls 
in  th(;  shitting"  hours.  ['"lowers  bloomed  alongside 
beds  of  snow,  snow-buntings  sang  on  the  rocks,  the 
sea  was  ali\e  with  gulls  and  terns  and  ducks,  and  the 
air  fidl  of  the  miu-mur  of  running  water,  while  tht; 
eternal  ice-cai)  ol  the  island  looked  down  from  the 
top  of  the  clilfs. 

A  wedding,  a  christening,  \  isits  to  the  "store" 
with  its  wealth  of  arctic  treasures  of  tur  and  i\'or\', 
and  long  tramps  up  the  cliffs  and  o\er  the  ice-caj)  of 
the  island,  fully  occupied  m\- time  until  at  last  I  could 
embark  for  Ritenbenk  at  the  head  of  the  ba\-  in  a 
roimd  little  tub  ot  a  sail-boat  manned  b\'  a  crew  of 
half-breeds  :  Xeils,  black-beard(xl,  gre)--eyed  ;  Peter, 
yellow-haired,  blue-eyed  ;    Ikkias,  Johann,  and  Daniel!, 


I 


J'' 


1 


' 


J. 


I"  ( 

.  ( 1/. 


\  t 


y 


6  Northward  oxer  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

witl;  Ivskinio  1*  rcdcrick,  who  had  been  one  of  tlic  doi^^ 
drivers  of  tlu;  l^nn'Hsh  1^75-70  l^xpcxUtion,  as  pilot 
and  iiU(N-|jr('tcr. 

M\'  plan,  in  outhnc,  was  to  L^ain  thi:  border  of  the 
interior  ice  at  some  point  as  near  the-  noith-i-ast  aiiL^le 

of  I  )isco  lia)  as  pos- 
sible, m\'  i)reference 
beini^"  the  base  of 
Noiirsoak  Peninsula, 
and  then  takeacourse 
towards  Peterniann's 
Mountain  on  the 
east  coast.  But  for 
various  reasons  1  was 
obliged  to  niotlify  my 
plans. 

My  sledi^ini^'eciuip- 
ment  was  made  in  the 
lit^ditest  and  most 
thorough  manner, 
under  m\"  own  super- 
vision, and  entirely 
without  reference  to 
the  use  of  do^'s.  Tlie 
principal  items  were; 
two  nine-foot  sledges, 
thirteen  inches  wide,  made  of  hickory,  st(;e],  and  hide, 
on  a  modified  Hudson  Bay  pattern,  and  wei^'hinLj;^, 
complete,  with  dras^"  ropes  and  lashings,  twenty-three 
pounds  each  ;  small  jacketed  alcohol  stoves,  nine- 
foot  double-ended  ash  r.lpenstocks  with  steel  point 
and  chisel,  rubber  ice-creepers,  snow-shoes,  snow- 
skates. 

Rations  consisted  of  tea,  sui^ar,  cond(,'nsetl  milk, 
hard  bread,  pemmican,  cranberry  jam.  baked  beans, 
Liebig  extract,  and  an  experimental  mixture-  of  meat, 


FREDERICK. 


Reconnaissance  of  1886  ; 

biscuit,  and  desiccated  potato,  put  up  in  t\vv)-pouiul 
cans  hy  Richard  cS:  Rohhins,  of  l)()\er.  I  )ela\vare. 

June  2}i.\  I  left  Riteiiheiik  w  itli  nu' friend  Christian 
Mai^aard,  assistant  ( loxcrnor  of  Rilenhenk,  eiL;lu 
nati\('s,  an  ooniiak,  and  two  atteiKhuit  kayaks.  At 
niichii-'ht  we  rounded  th(;  southern  e\treniit\'  of  Arve- 
l)rins  Iskuiik  in  I  )isco  iia\',  and  headed  across  the  mouth 
of  Ikaresak  .Sound  for  th(!  entrance  of  I'akitsok  I'jorck 
Above  us  the  clouds  were  hea\y  and  leaky,  and  aheatl 
ever\'  depression  of  the  dark  mountains  and  the  un- 
derside of  the  black  cloud  can()j)y  aboxi-  them  was  lit 
with  the  i)ale,  cold  L;lare  of  the  "  iced)link."' 

I'^nterini;' the  narrow-mouthed,  bluff-walK^d  fjord,  we 
camped.  The  next  da\'  we  proceciled  up  the  fjord 
through  the  narrow  canon  which  separates  th(.'  ui)per 
from  the  lowe'-  fjord,  said  by  the  nali\'es  to  be  impass- 
able e\cei)t  at  certain  stages  of  the  tide.  ( )ne  wall  of 
the  canon  was  ^lowin^"  in  tin;  brilliant  yellow  sunlight 
which  poured  in  a  level  tlood  through  the  western 
entrance  ;  the  other  lay  in  deep  purple-  shadow  ;  l)e- 
tween  them  flowed  the  stroma"  deep-sn-c-en  current, 
and  throui^h  the  cafion  the  upjx-r  fiord,  known  to  the 
natives  as  lUartlek,  irleamed  blue,  and  the  summits  of 
the  inner  mountains  wc;re  soft  with  yellow  li^ht.  I^e- 
yond  the  cailon  the  fjord  expanded  into  a  broatl  lake. 


contractuiL^  as^ain   se\eral   miles 


fartl 


th 


ler   uj) 


Al 


)Ove 


lis  point  th(;  water  was  |)ale  L^reen,  rapulh"  ^towuil,^ 
shallow,  whiter,  and  freshe'r. 


At 


SIX  A.M.  O 


f  the  2Sth  we  landed  at  the  head  of  the 


fjord,  and  twenty-four  hours  later  I  had  reconnoitred 
the  entire  extent  of  the  mountain  dam.  some;  twenty- 
five  hundred  feet   in   hc.'iij^ht.  which   keeps   the   Inland 


I 


ce   in  c 


heck 


in 


thi 


IS  vicinit}',  and  touncl  a  practicable 


bl( 


route  to  the  surface  of  tlu,-  ice-caj).     l{arK-  on  tlu;  2(Sth 

'  Tlic   Danisli  colonist^-  almost  always  refer  to  the   Inland  Ice  as  the  "ice- 
blink," and  I  follow  their  custom. 


(:    i 


i 


il 


mf* 


¥ 


Northwiird  nwv  the  "  ( ircat  Ice" 


i' 


J\ 


If 

■\ 

r 


r 


I' 


^l^r*"*'^^ 


\v  had  ('\(T\lhiii''  up  In  ihc  icc-looi,  i  i  SS  'f<'t  ahovt; 
the  sea,  and  oil  the  uioruinL;'  of  the  j()lh  our  two 
slt'(l_o('s.  the  .SVi'<v7//(\7/'/  aad  /*i/i/(ts  ///iwM  nanic(l 
in  honour  of  hfuiiiark's  youiiLic'^l  princess),  la\  with 
their  loads  upon  liu:  landward  cd'^c  ol  the  ice-cap, 
195b  feet  ahoxc  the  sea.  W  ■  ia\  down  under  the  lee  of 
th(^  sled^'es.  hut  the  wind  and  the  hiiiKhn;;-  sun  made 
sleep  an  inipossii)ility.  The  ni.is-.e-,  ■)!  Idack  rock  l)e- 
\()iid  the  niarL;iii  of  the  "  iced)l'nr;  "  wc  re  tremulous  in 

,  _  the  da//li'i^.;lare;  tile  blue  fjord 

fir  Iielo'.v  u-^.  glisten  in_Li"  in  some 
places  like  hurnished,  in  others 
like  frost'  1,  steel  ;  and  o\\r  and 
be\()ii  1  the  nioimtains.  1  )isc() 
Vtxy  lay  i)lue. 

At  ei!4'ht  r.\!..the  snow  lia\-- 
in^'  harden  d,  Mai^aard  and  I 
started  (hi  •  eau  up  the  "  ice- 
blink." .\  ^  we  st;irted,  the  blue 
of  Disco  i),i\-  was  bloited  out 
by  a  bank  ef  pearl-white  fo'^-, 
which  i)oin-ed  through  the  nar- 
rows, sli])ped  o\cr  the  mount- 
ains at  tile  moulh  of  the  fjord. 
and   crept    down    their    eastern 

slopes  in  leath- 
ery sj)ra\"s  of 
siU'er  upon 
jet.  A  little 
later  a  mass  of 
black  cloutls 
liid  the  sun, 
and  at  mid- 
night the  {o^ 

BLAESE   DALE  CATARACT.  blottcd  O  U  t 

Near  Godhavn,  Disco  Island.  the     land      be- 


iIj 

1,1'  1^16 


Reconnaissance  of  1886  9 

hind  us.  At  one  A.M.  it  overtook  us;  the  sudclcniicss 
with  which  it  l)lotlc(l  out  w  r\-lhiiiL;' and  shrouded  us 
in  !^r('\-  iiothinniicss  was 
starthii^.    We  kept  on  till 

the  io'^  changed  to  sleet. 

and,  the  w  ind  increasiuL;-, 
1  railed  a  halt  three  thou- 
saiid  tc:et  al)o\-  •  the  sea. 
Turning-  the  sledL^cs  up- 
on iheir  sides,  and  plac- 
ing- our  rul)l)ei-  pillows 
and  hlankets  in  their  lee, 
We  lay  down.  I>y  this 
time  the  wind  Iiad  he- 
coni  •  a  .L^ale.  and  tin: 
sleet,  changed  to  snow, 
was  drixin^-  in  a  continu- 
ous sheet  o\-er  the  tops 
of  till'  sledL^cs. 

We     la\-     hehind    our 

sledi^'es.    whic-h   with  oui- 
1. 


sei\'es    Were  soon 


juried 


in   the  drift,  until  lat 


tl 


le 


ift 


itternoon     ol 


e  in 
the 


second    daw    when     the 
steach'  roar  of  the  storm 


DANISH   ESKIMO  WOMAN. 

Sliowin-;  (ireciilaiiil  ^tylc^  in  ScaNkiii 
laiktts,  .and  C'har:u  tii  istic  I'.skiiuu 
Mcthixl  ol  C!arr\inL;  ( 'liildii'n. 


broke    into    intermittent    scpialls.    and    crawling-    out 
we   i^-ot    momentar>-    glimpses,   behind   and   helow  us. 


)eneath    and 


ar 


ot  a  d(;nse  mass  of  clouds,  black  1 
dull  lead  colour  above,  hun-yin^-  northward  just  aboxc 
the  summits  of  the  land.  The  land  itself,  hoary  in 
its  elevated  portions  with  the  new]\-  fallen  snow.  la\' 
everywhere  else  as  black  as  .nidnii^ht.  and  the  fjord 
hatl  become  a  i)ool  of  ink.      Ahead  of  us.  a  |)ale  super- 


natural  ('iare  rose  nearl\-  to  the  zenith,  and 


in   eve 


ry 


direction     the    "  ice-blink."    swept    by   furious    snow 


ii 


(  ' 


I' 
I 


I 


\o 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


','  I 


s([iiiills,  and  il.s  inc([iialilic'S  ohlitcratcd  in  the  sliadow- 
Icss  H^ht,  strc;tched  dead  and  silent. 

At  six  I'.M.,  the  clouds  i^n'owin^-  blacker  and  blacker 
(;very  moment,  ami  every  indication  pointing'  to  a 
protracted  storm,  I  decidc;d  to  take  the  instruments 
and  l;'o  back  to  the  tent  and  await  more  faxourable 
weather.  At  the  lexcl  of  the  brink  of  the  ice-ton^aie 
overlooking"  tlu:  raL;L;'ed  descent  through  th(.'  crevasses 
and  gulches  to  tb.e  ice-foot,  rain  had  fallen,  instead  of 
snow,  and  the  ed^es  of  tlu^  cre\ass(.,'s,  the  sides  of  the 
L'ullies.  and  the  hard  blue  pinnacles  were  like  oili'd 
steel,  utterl\-  impracticable.  W'e  could  do  nothini; 
buL  climb  over  the  crest  of  the  mountain  dam  and 
down  the  clills  to  the  valley.  1 1  ere  we  forded  the 
l^lacier  river,  and  at  midnij^ht  r(;ached  the  tent,  th(^ 
rain  falliuL;'  in  sheets,  the  wind  dashing'  th'st  \\\)  and 
then  down  the  valley,  threatening-  every  monuMit  to 
level  the  tent,  and  the  glacier  river  a  roaring;-  torrent. 
Trulw  the  Inlantl  Ict^  had  Liiven  us  a  savaire  welcome, 
but  wc;  were  not    yet  done  with  it. 

()n  the.  afternoon  of  the  fourth  da)-.  July  5th,  ])its 
of  blue  sk\-  wcn'e  visible,  and  we  climbed  the  ict'-clifts 
once  more,  reached  the  sledi'^es,  duo"  them  out,  and 
started  due  east  a^ain. 

North  and  east  of  us  tlie  surface  of  the  ice  was  hioh- 
er,  and  the  swc;lls  ai)parently  longer  and  llatter  than 
those?  alreach"  i)assed.  .South-east  lav  the  <'r(.'at  feeder 
basin  of  the  jacobshavn  Glacier  stretchin<^  eastward 
into  the  "  ice-blink,"  like  a  L;rc;at  bay,  and  up  throu^^^h 
iis  centre,  like  a  tide  rip  in  a  smooth  sea,  glistened  the 
ra_L;"L;"ed  j)oints  of  the  o-hicier  itself.  fust  previous  to 
startini;",  while  walking"  near  the  sledges  without  snow- 
shoes  or  aljx'nstock,  1  broke  into  a  narrow  crevasse, 
and  as  I  Iuuil;'  for  an  instant  supj)()rted  by  my  out- 
stretched arms,  before  scrambling;"  out,  the  fragments 
of  the  treacherous  snow  arch  went  rattlin^r  down  the 


t'  v 


Reconnaissance  of  1886 


1 1 


a/urc  depths  nil  Ihc  rchcx-s  they  awoke  were  like  the 
cliiiiies  of  siK'er  hells.  Our  snow-shoes  j)re\cnt(Hl  a 
repetition  ol  the  oc:cur- 
rence  in  crossing'  the  net- 
work ol  crexasses  which 
extendetl  east  from  our 
camp.  As  we  adxanceil 
thes(;  (.lisappearetl.  and 
in  thic  cold  of  the  early 
mornini^"  the  entire  sur- 
face hecamc!  one  tlrm 
unhroken  crust,  afford- 
IiIl;"  excellent  walking". 
'I  wo  or  three  small  ponds 
which  we  mtit  were  froz- 
en just  hard  enoui^h  to 
support  us  as  we  half 
slid,  half  skated  rapidly 
across  on  our  "  ski 
(s!io\v-skates).      W  h  i  1  e 


crossuiLi'     another 


M 


II- 


j^aartl 
closch' 
il 


foil 
tl 


owed    me    too 


le  ice,  crac 


ked 


md    weakenet 


1     1 


)\-    mv 


passino', 
the    Pn 


broke 


ant 


1    let 


GREENLAND  SMALL  BOY. 


wate 


uccss    riixra   throu^'h    in    some    five    feet    of 
1  it  was  onlv  with   the  utmost  difhciltN'  that 


anc 


)t  1 


we  o'ot  her  out  and 


to  tl 


"le  hank  a- 'am. 


X 


nis  misr.cU) 


o.'i 


00  feet  al)o\-e  tlu! 


hroui^ht  us  to  a  halt  in  a  hollow 
sea,  and  we  turned  in  in  the  lee  of  the;  sk^tl^es  for  a 
few  hours'  sleep,  after  which  we  sjx'nt  the  (.lay  dr\'inL;' 
;'ear  and  Mai^aard's  sleepin^-^-ear.  saturated 


our 


foot-'. 


1)\'  the  accident  and  froz(,;n  stiff. 


A 


s  soon  as  the  sun  l; 


th 


'•()t  around   to   the  north-west 


and    the   snow   had   hardened    sutticientl\-   to   sui)port 


our 


ded 


U'es,    we 


strapi 


)ed    our    snow-shoes    (;n    anc 


d 


m 


:'a 


\ 


M 


i. 


1  li' 


•',;! 


1 


/! 


I?  1 

•I  t 


i  ?i   r 


.    i 


f        ' 


I     I*   I 


12         Northward  Over  the  "(ireat  Ice" 

started  a^ain.  W'r  soon  reached  a  Ioiil;-,  narrow  lake, 
str(.'tcldn_L;-  across  our  patli  to  the  left,  and  not  yet 
frozen  hard  enfui^li  to  suppoit  us.  To  tlank  this  lake 
cost  us  a  detour  of  two  miles,  and  even  then  we  were 
compelled  to  wade  through  the  morass  of  saturated 
snow  which  surroundetl  it  and  extended  far  on  either 
sid(,'. 


SOUTH  COAST  OF  DISCO  ISLAND,   EAST  OF  GODHAVN. 

I'al Hilar   l!i*r<;  in   l''nrey;r()uiul. 

Soon  after  midnight  th('  snow  surface  became  firm 
and  coarsely  L^ranular  with  (occasional  small  patches 
of  snow  ot  marhledike  fmeness  and  whiteness,  sou- 
\enirs  of  the  last  storm. 

Later  we  encountered  areas  of  oiazed  snow,  of  such 
hardness  that  excn  the  hrads  in  our  sandals  and  the 
steel  shoes  of  th(  sledges  scarcely  le'ft  a  trace.  'Idle 
fierce  morniuL;'  .^ale  brought  us  to  a  standstill  4100 
teet  above  the  sea.  the  entire  surface  of  the  "  ice- 
blink," as    far    as   we    could    see,    okized   and   shining- 


Reconnaissance  of  1886 


13 


beneath  llu;   niorniiiL;"  sun,  with   a   lihiKhiiL;-  hrilHancy 
impossihlL'  to  tlcscribc. 

Taught  !))•  oui  'jxpiM'icncc-  at  prcxious  camps,  that 
it  was  imp()ssibh_;  to  sleep  exposed  to  the  i)o\verlul 
<^dare  of  the  sun  and  the  searching  sweep  ot  the  w  ind, 
and  ha\in*^^  at  this  camp  suiiahlc  material,  we  built  a 
rouL;h  hut,  cuttini;"  blocks  of  snow  with  a  lon^".  nar- 
rowd)laded  saw,  and  building-  a  low  wall  around  three 
sides  of  a  rectani^'le,  over  which  we  spread  a  rubber 
blanket  and  weiL!ht(xl  it  down  with  the  skidLies, 


BIVOUAC  ON  IHE  ICE-CAP. 


During'  the  next  nine  days  we  pushed  on  throuL,di 
various  experience's.  usuall\-  in  the  tec-th  o{  a  head- 
wind. .Sometimes  far  up  the  most  delicate  cirrus 
clouds  hung  motionless  in  the;  blue,  again  black  bcUiks 
of  cumuli  would  swee})  up  abo\c  the  hori/on.  ( )ncc  or 
twice  we  were  (,niv<"loped  in  dense  fog.  which  coated 
e\'erything  with  tiny,  milk-white  crystals  of  ice,  and 
in   one   march   a   brilliant  pcU'helion    tilled   the   north- 


<  •■ 


.^  -  \ 


,)    i 


14 


Northward  cncr  the  "(ircat  Ice 


,", 


1 


(eastern  sk\-  wiih  rainbow  hues  antl  clicilcd  answcnno- 


Hashes  of  colour  Iro'V  the  ^iilUMani:,' siiow-ticld. 

Atlcr  ^eUiiiL;-  al)o\c    an    altitude    of   six    tlioiisand 
feet,  the  temperature  ch-opped  to  lo"  and  (S.5"  1\ 

;th,  the  wind 


W 


hen  we  resumed  our  marc  h  on  the  i 


had   settled  tlown  t 


o  a  sout h-easteri\-  (jah    loaded  with 


snow 


d 


[iLjamst  this  we  advanced  with  '.>'()[ 


les  on. 


hoods  i)ulle(i  u]),and  heads  dow  n.  IseepiiiL;'  our  course  h\- 
the   wind,  until  the  sinking-  ol    tin;  sled^'es  in  the  soft 
1  the  contimud  cloL'i'inL''  of  our  snow-sh,)es, 


snow 


mc 


compeUed  us  to  stop  and  wait  the  cessation  ol  the  storm 
at  an  ele\  ;ition  ol  7525  Ivcl.  Too  tiretl  and  si  'ep\'  from 
our  struL:i;le  wit^"'  the  storm  to  huild  a  hut.  e\en  had 
the  loose  snow  rendered  it  possible,  we  la\'  down  be- 
hind our  sled^-es  and  fell  asleep. 

\\  hen  I  ;iwoke  we  were  C()mpletei\'  snowed  unde.", 
and  here  we  la\'  fca*  fortj-t^i'j^'ht  hours,  with  the  wind 
and  snow  drixiuL;'  in  one  incessant,  sulK  n  roar  across 
the  drift  al)o\c;  us.  Theif  ^jvc  crawled  out  durini^-  a 
lull  in  the  storm  and  duj^ -a^-shallow  j)it,  co\erc;d  i' 
with  a  rubber  blanket,  exca\'at'od  our  Sie(.l_^es  and  ba^s. 
weio'hted  the  blankest  down  with  the  sledot;s,  thrc;w 
our  hair's  underneath,  and  crawled  after  them. 

About  lix'e  A.M.,  Monda\'  the  igth,  a  narrow  ribbon 
of  cr)stallint;  blue  appeared  beneath  the  clou'l  "  in  tin 
south-east,  and  widened  and  L;rew  until  it  reached  the 
sun.  Then  followed  a  perf(;ct  day,  warm,  cU:ar,  al- 
most calm,  enabling"  me  to  L;"et  a  i^ood  observation, 
and  permittino-  us  to  dry  all  our  o'ear.  Our  camj), 
7525  feet  above  the  sea,  and  within  a  fraction  of  one 
hundred  miles  from  the  margin  of  th<'  "  ice-blink,"  lay 
in  a  shallow  basin,  the  snow,  previous  to  th(;  last  storm, 
of  the  consistencN'  of  hne  granulated  sui^ar  as  far 
down  as  I  could  fore  >  my  alpenstock  (some  six  feet). 

We  had  six  dav..  ;  »;"e\'i  ,i'Mis  left,  and  beiuL:'  uncer- 
tain   as   to    the   chanL;^(,:s   ii   the   lOwer  })ortion  of  the 


V     ': 


/' 


Reconnaissance  of  1886 


15 


"icc-hlink"  durin<^  our  absence,  I  tlccidcil  to  rL'turn. 
We  lashed  tlie  Sz^'ccfkcari  and  the  J^r/nccss  77/vra  to- 
gether, makinij-  as  strong-  and  llexiljle  a  httle  catania- 
ran  as  (jne  could  wish  to  see;  the  black  sail,  jcllow 
spars  and  hulls,  red  sailing  pennant,  and  the  tlashin^' 
tins  of  the  load,  forming-  a  vivitl  contrast  to  the  un- 
broken white  expanse  of  the  "  ice-blink." 


COASTING. 


Late  on  the  iQtb.  we  slart<.'d  on  our  return  l)cncalh 
a  cloudless  sk\'.  A  peculiar  phciionicnou  noticed 
thuiuL;-  this  march  w:is  the  upparcnt  sinking-  ot  lari_;e 
areas  of  siiow  at  intervals  as  we  passed  aion^',  ac- 
companied l)\'  peculiar  muttled  reports  whicli  rum- 
bled awa\'  beneath  the  crust  in  e\-er\-  dii-ection  until 
the\'  died  a\va\"  ;  just  as  happens  v.hen  one  is  skating- 
upon  a  freshl\-  fro/en  lake  in  early  w  inter.  'l"he  sky 
abo\e  was  tlawless  blue,  the  crimson  sun  in  one  direc- 
tion, the  x'ellow  moon  opposite,  and  the  [)lain  on 
which  we  travelled  spreatl   with   diamoiul    (.lust.      At 


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midnight  tlic  northern  sky  was  a  sea  of  crimson  li,L^iu, 
anil  the  snow  la\'  hathctl  in  delicate  shades  of  rose. 

All  the  next  day  an  east  wind  blew,  and  the  sle(.l_L;es 
went  merrily  alonLT  hefori;  it,  r(,'(|uirin''"  no  exertion 
on  our  [)art  other  than  to  ^iiide  and  restrain  them. 

During'  this  march  sk\'  and  snow  were  a^ain  hrill- 
iant  with  indescribable  splendour.  Xot  a  cloud  was 
visible  except,  at  a  ^reat  altitude,  two  or  three  deli- 
cate, motionless  "  mare's-tails,"  the  baniiv-rs  of  the 
wind.  The  snow-tlust  raised  by  our  snow-shoes 
went  hurrying"  alon^;'  ix^forc;  us  in  two  lon^",  sinuous 
lines  of  pale  rose-tinted  smoke,  twistini;'  and  wa\  ini;' 
like  spirits  of  th(t  ice  at  plaw 

When  we  halted,  the  wind  was  howling;-  like  a  de- 
mon ])ast  th(.'  sledLi'".  After  ri^^iuL;  a  rudder  (a 
hatchet  lashed  to  the  eiid  of  a  snow-skate)  to  th(; 
catamar.m,  w<;  turned  in  upon  tht?  sUnli^'es.  As  tlu- 
yellow  sun  stooped  to  the  northern  horizon  aj^ain, 
Maii^aard  and  I  turnial  out,  took  our  ])laces  uj^on  the 
sledges,  and  bt,'L;an  a  bit  of  travelling'  wh.ich,  as  far 
as  1  know,  has  no  j)arallel  in  arctic  work,  krom 
midnight  till  i'lvc  a.m.  we  sped  aloiii^'.  takinj^  lexcls  at 
the  spc!ed  ot  a  last  walk,  and  dashing'  rapidh'  down 
the  inclines,  the  hatchet  rudder  woi'kini;'  adnurabl\-. 
'rhf.:ii  a  L^roup  of  enormous  snow-coxcr;  d  crexasses 
sprang'  across  our  path,  and  the  land,  Noursoak  and 
Disco,  dark  and  half  shrouded  in  haze,  leaped  uj) 
from  behind  the  white  expanse  below  us  with  a  sud- 
denness that  wa-.  absolutel)-  startlini;'.  The  crexasses, 
th(!  most  magnificent  ones  w(?  had  seen,  were  many 
of  them  lift)'  feet  wide,  and  the  ^roup  was  about  half 
a  mile;  across.  As  a  rule,  the\'  were  co\'ered  1)\'  snow 
arcluts,  though  in  several  places  the^;e  had  fallen  in. 
\\\v.  snow  arches  beini;'  ai)i)arentl\-  strong',  we  rushed 
the  sledges  over,  taking'  llvinu'  steps,  and  half  sup- 
portiui^  ourselves  on  tht:   \ard   of  the  catamaran,  as 


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Reconnaissance  of  1886  17 

the  wind  and  the;  iniiK'tus  (f  our  run  hurried  us 
across.  The  eil^a-s  of  all  the  openini^s  into  these 
hu_L(e  chasms  luul  an  (jverhani^inn"  lij)  of  snow,  niak- 
ini^''  it  impossiijh.'  to  ajjproach  them  to  sound  or  look 
down.  \\\'.  could  (jnl\-  L;('t  hast)-  glimpses  into  them 
as  we  i)assed  over  the  snow  arches,  and  these  showed 
that  their  ra^'^'ed  hhu,-  walls,  hunij;'  with  L;iant  icicles 
and  frostwork  of  fantastic  patterns,  descended  into 
de])ths  of  l)lue-l)lack  nlL^ht. 

lieyond  the  crc;\asses  the  descent  was  \("r\'  rapid, 
and.  jumping'  on  the  sledges  aL;"ain.  we  he^an  an  ex- 
citing- run.  The  wind,  straining-  tlu;  sail  till  it  threat- 
ened to  tear  it  from  the  mast,  and  the  rai)id  descent 
to!L^eth<'r.  drove;  us  down  tlu;  Irozen  slope  with  a 
l)r(;athless  rush  which  only  those  who  have  i)een  on 
a  tol)o^-i4-an  can  understand,  oiu*  sup|)le  catamaran 
i^'lidin^'  o\-er  the  snow  and  risiiiL;-  and  falling-  to  every 
ii-ie(|ualit\-  with  sinew\-  ease  and  L^race. 

There  are  two  who  will  not  sooii  for^-et  that  glori- 
ous dash  down  tin;  slope  of  the  eternal  ice  in  tlu; 
crisp  air  and  rosy  li^'ht  of  that  arctic  summer  n-iornin^^. 
At  the  end  of  an  hour  we  reached  a  reo-ion  w-lu;re 
c;\-ery  depression  was  occupied  1)\'  a  l)lu(;  pond.  oft(;n 
hidden  1)\-  the  hunimocks  till  we  were  almost  into  it, 
and  we  were  con-ipell(;d  to  lower  our  sail,  L^et  off  the 
catamaran,  and  walk  until  we  were  st()pp(;d  by  a  broad 
morass  of  slush  and  water,  extending-  rij^ht  and  left 
as  far  as  we  could  see.  The  total  descent  during-  this 
march  was  2125  feet.  The  snow  where  we  haltc;(l  was 
a  mass  of  heavy  slush,  and  the  wind  threatened  to 
pick  us  up  bodily  and  hurl  us  into  the  swam})  ah(;ad. 
Mere  we  remained  until  midnight,  waiting-  for  the 
surface  of  the  morass  to  freeze  sufficienth'  to  support 
us.  Scarcely  fifty  yards  from  camp,  howe\-er.  we  sank 
to  our  kn<;es.  our  snow-shoes  coniin^'  up  load(;d  with 
slush,  at  a  temperature  that  needed  but  a  touch  of  the 


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air  to  inakt;  it  coiiL^cal.  I'orliiiiaU'l) ,  ihc  clc|)th  of  this 
shish  and  water  now  here  exceeded  three  feet,  and  ford- 
ing the  stre-ani,  which  ran  throiiLih  the  centre  of  the 
morass,  wc  at  hist  emerged  iijion  (h\\-  ice.  and,  clearino- 
the  sledj^cs  of  their  load  of  skish,  started  on  a  run  to  re- 
store sensation  to  our  feet.  I'or  several  hours  these 
half-frozen  morasses  alternateil  with  hard  blue  ice, 
hone^'combetl  with  water  ca\  ities.  Then  the  character 
of  the  ice  changed  completely,  the  slush  and  water 
cavitic^s  disappeared,  and  the  entire  surface  consisted 
of  a  white  granular  snow-ice  scored  in  e\ery  direction 
with  furrows  one  to  four  feet  deep,  and  two  to  eiL^ht 
and  ten  feet  wide,  with  a  littK;  rill  at  the  bottom  of 
each. 

Vhv.  toj)s  of  all  the  hummocks  were  traversed  l)y 
more  or  less  numerous  cre\asses.  and  one  of  the?  cre- 
vassi^s,  coveri'd  b\-  a  li.^ht  snow  arch,  came  near  robbing;; 
me  of  my  friend.  We  had  pushed  the  catamaran 
across,  as  was  our  custom,  till  it  rested  at  each  end  on 
the  opposite  ed^x^s  of  the  chasm,  and  I  had  leaped 
across  to  pull  at  the  sanu;  instant  that  Mai^aartl 
pushed.  Unfortunatcd)'.  hc^  trippcxl  as  hv.  spran^j^  after, 
stepped  heavil)-  upon  the  snow  arch,  it  ^ave  way  be- 
ncjath  him,  and  clin^inL;"  to  the  stern  of  the  catamaran 
he  sank  into  the  crcivasse,  while  the  bow  shot  into  the 
air  with  a  jerk  that  nearly  tore  it  from  my  orasj). 
r\)r  a  moment  the  sledij^es  hun_u^  tilted  on  the  lip  of 
the  chasm,  with  a  man's  life  hanuino-  on  their  quiver- 
ini;"  forms  ;  then  my  weight  concjuered,  and  IMaii^aard's 
head  came  up  to  the  surface  levt'l  ;  the  sledges  crept 
farther  on  to  the  ice  till  the  lono-  arm  of  the  k;ver  was 
in  my  favour,  and  IMai^aard,  pale  but  smiling-,  swunn^ 
himself  up  on  the  ice.  A  little  farther  on.  I  cauK^in 
for  a  disaij^reeable  though  harmless  experience.  Hav- 
ini^  stepped  down  mid-thioh-dcep  in  a  s^lacier  stream 
to  lift  the  Szocethcaj't  and  the  Princess  TJiyra  across, 


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the  current  swcj^t  my  feet  from  under  me,  plun^a;d  me 
into  a  deep  liole  just  l)elo\v,  th(Mi  ruslietl  nut  alon^i^ 
between  the  pohshed  hanks  witli  (h//\'  vc.'locitv.  I 
was  Ix-^inninLj;'  to  L,a.-t  irritati-tl  at  my  utter  heli)less- 
ness  in  this  stream,  scarcely  more  than  six  f(;et  wide, 
or  more  than  live  feet  (.leejj,  when  a  shallow  place 
L^^ave  m\'  sj)ik('(l  sandal  i  j)()int  of  application  for  a 
spring"  against  the  steep  hank,  up  which  I  scrambled, 
and  ran  to  hel|)  Maii^aard.  who  was  barely  able  to 
hold  the  half-sul)m(;ro'ed  sledges  ai^ainst  the  current. 

Idle  furrows  and  cre\asses  increased  in  numlxr 
and  width  as  wi;  neared  the  land.  Aft(M"  the  sun 
rose  from  its  short  dij)  below  the  hori/on,  we  forgot 
ever\lhin_!4"  in  the  splendour  of  tlut  mornini;".  'I'he 
wealth  of  deep, rich  colouring'  amonu;'  th(;  dark  mouiu- 
ains  below  us  was  wonderful,  and  through  ih  ir 
massive  portals  we  caui^ht  glimpses  of  the-  deep  blue  of 
Pakitsok  and  Kan^'endluarsarsoak  h'jords,  and  farther 
awa\'  Ikart.'sak  Sound.  I)ehind  us  the  yellow  sun 
floated  aloni4",  above  the  steebblue  line  of  the  fro/en 
horizon,  through  a  sea  of  li(|uid  i'wc.  ReachiiiL;"  the 
edi:;'e  of  tlu;  ice-tongue,  we  anchorcnl  the  sledj^'es.  and 
with  my  instruments  sIuul;'  on  my  back,  descended 
the  glacier  face. 

All  tlie  more  sali(Mit  features  liere  were  the  same 
as  when  we  made  the  ascent  three  wcH'ks  i)efore,  but 
those  thrtn?  weeks  of  arctic  summer  had  transformed 
every  inch  of  surface  into  solid,  ^listeninL;".  unctuous 
blue  ice,  ami  every  detail  was  sharpi-r,  (.leeper,  mort; 
angular,  more  heax'ily  accentetl,  like  an  etchiuL^'  longer 
exjjosed  to  the  acid.  Ritl^es  which  then  were  broad 
enough  to  permit  a  sledge  to  pass  with  a  man  on  each 
side,  were  now  mere  knift,'  edi;es  ;  crevasses  that  couKl 
be  jumix'd  then,  were  imjjassable  i^ulfs  now.  As 
we  went  down  the  \alley  we  found  a  new  trii)e  of 
tlowers     had     made     their    appearance     during'    our 


I 


Reconnaissance  of  1886 


2 1 


absence.  In  sonu;  places  ihv.  soil  was  covered  with 
laro-e  i)urple  blossoms,  and  delicate  bluebells  wi-re 
abundant  everywhere.     The  heat  in   the  valley  even 


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LARGE  PURPLP:  BLOSSOMS. 


at  this  early  hour  was  oppressive  to  us.  accustomed 
to  the  cold  atmos[)here  of  the  "  ice-blink,"  and  when 
we  reached  th(;  tent,  I  was  carr\inLr  ni^arlv  all  mv 
wearino-  apparel  except  foot-^ear  slun^'  at   m\-  back. 

Two  da\s  later  my  burning-  exes  and  cracked  and 
blistered  fact!  had  re^ainetl  something"  like  their  nor- 
mal condition,  and  we  j)ack('d  the  sledges  o\'er  the 
mountains  and  down  to  the  tent  on  our  backs,  and 
n.'tiu'ned  to  Ritenbenk.  Here  much  to  \\\\  rej^rct  I 
was  oblii^'ed  to  part  with  my  tawn\-b(.'arded,  blue- 
eyed  friend  Mai^aard,  and  l;()  on  alone  to  the  Tossu- 
katek  Glacier  and  the  bast?  of  Xoursoak  Peninsula. 

The  voyau^e  in  a  small  boat  from  Ritenbenk  to  Kek- 
ertak,  where  I  was  to  obtain  \\\\  crew  and  oomiak  for 
the  journey  up  the  fjord,  was  without  special  incident 


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2  2  Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

(■xccj)t  tlie  waiting-  one  iiii^ht  in  the;  rain  at  the  black 
)>()inl  of  Xiakornak  for  tlie  swiftly  drifting-  hcr^s  and 
icopans  to  </\\v.  us  an  oi)i)()rtunit)-  to  cross  the;  fjord. 
The  black  rocks  of  the  iK)int  tossed  and  pulled  at  the 
l)oat's  iKiinter,  the  rain  pattered  merrih-on  m\- rubber 
blanket  as  on  a  tin  roof,  and  the  point  itself  under  its 
sable  canop)-  of  clouds,  with  ra_i;_n'ed  veils  of  rain  driv- 
inij-  across  it,  was  as  wild  a  piece  of  rockwork  as  I 
have  ever  seen. 


'i! 


.JX 


ESKIMO  KAYAKERS  EFFECTING  A  LANDING. 

Fioin  Kekertak  I  pushed  on  up  the  Tossukatek 
Fjord  in  an  oomiak,  manned  by  a  crew  of  broad- 
shouldered,  red-cheeked,  white-toothed  your.^-  men, 
the  hnest  specimens  of  Eskimos  I  have  seen.  Vo  my 
inexperienced  eye,  the  fjord  seemed  utterly  impass- 
able. From  shore  to  shore  it  was  filled  with  a  con- 
fusion of  hujj^e  fiat-topped  beri^s,  the  narrow  cafions 
and  tortuous  lanes  between  them  apparently  packed 
solid  with  berg  fra^i^ments  and  pans  of  fioe  ice.      But 


Reconnaissance  of  1886 


23 


my  pilots  in  tlic  kayaks  sccmccl  to  know  i)\-  instinct 
where  there  was  a  j)assa_i;e,  and  on  tlie  second  day  we 
reached  tlie  heatl  of  the  fjord  without  misliap.  I'his 
voyas^e  up  the  lont^,  narrow  outlet  of  such  an  enormous 
and  active  j^lacier  as  Tossukatek.  was  ont-  of  inex- 
pressible grandeur.  'I  lu,'  air  was  continuousK'  tilled 
with  a  succession  of  shar|)  reports.  var\inL,^  in  loudness 
from  that  of  a  percussion-caj)  to  heav)'  artilU.'ry,  while 
every  few  monients  there  would  come  a  reverheratiui^ 
peal  as  of  rollin;^  thunder,  and  i\\v.  swells  from  ilis- 
ruptinir  iceber<^s  kept  the  whole  mighty  tletjt  sur^ino' 
and  swayinj^-,  and  broke  with  intermittent  roar  against 
the  rocks  of  the  shore. 


ESKIMO  KAYAKERS  TRAVELLING  OVERLAND. 

My  first  view  of  the  glacier  showed  it  stretching 
across  the  head  of  the  fjord,  a  giant  rose-coloured  dam, 
the  majestic  "  ice-blink  "  rising  blue  above;  it. 

Late  in  the  evening  of  August  3d,  as  the  sun  was 
dropping  behind  the  northern  mountains,    I   started 


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Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice 


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from  m\'  little  tent,  which  had  hccn  erected  closer  to 
th(;  t;dL(e  of  thi;  ice-cap,  on  my  solitary  reconnaissance 
of  the  "  L^reat  ict;  "  across  the  base  of  Xoursoak  \\n- 
insula.  Three  days  later  I  was  hack  to  the  tent  a^ain, 
ha\in_Lj^  crossixl  the  ice  to  thi;  (.-d^e  of  the  (ireat 
Kariak  (ilacier,  some  tw^enty-five  miles  northward, 
where,  aft(,'r  a  momiMitary  s^limpse  into  the  mighty 
basin  of  th(!  L;Teat  ice-stream  tilled  with  chaos-heaped 
ice,  then  out  throiiL,di  the  ma^nitlct-nt  beri^-dotted 
blue  waters  of  Omenak  I'jord,  I  had  been  cauLjiit  in  a 
south-easter,  the  black  clouds  of  which  poured  nwr 
Xoursoak,  hiding'  th(;  snow)-  peaks  of  Okaitsortalik, 
Majorkarsuatsiak,  and  their  companions,  and  blotting' 
ni)'  world  out  behind  a  veil  of  falling  snow  and  rain. 

Then  I  ha('  retraced  my  steps  through  the  continu- 
ation of  the  sN)rm  back  to  m\'  tent.  This  solitary 
experience  in  the  silence  and  cU^solation  and  infinites 
expanse  of  the  "  L^reat  ic(; "  made  a  deep  impression 
upon  me. 

Returnmo-  to  Kc'kertak,  1  climbed  thi;  ra^t^'cd  peak 
of  Xayat  on  the  north  side  of  the  fjord,  where  I  had 
a  mannificent  view  of  the  entire  north-eastern  section 
of  Disco  Hay.  Beneath  the  e\e  of  an  observer  on 
the  summit  of  Xayat,  the  whole  of  Tossukatek  I'^jord, 
with  its  ramifications  into  Ikaresak  Sound,  and  the 
oreat  L(lacic;r  at  its  head,  lies  like  a  map,  and  the 
apparently  level  horizon  of  the  ice-cap  stretches  from 
north-east  to  south-east. 

Then  from  Kekertak  I  went  to  the  famous  fossil 
beds  of  Atanekerdluk.  Here  I  found  frasj^ments  of 
trees,  black  petrifactions  with  the  Lorain  of  the  wood 
and  the  texture  of  the  bark  showin<^  clearlv.  Pieces 
of  sandstone  split  readily  into  sheets,  between  which 
were  to  be  seen  sharp,  clear  impressions  of  lari^e  net- 
veined  leaves,  every  tiniest  veinlet  and  minute  ser- 
ration   of    the   etlircs  distinct  as  the  lines  of  a  steel 


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Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


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cni^TaviiiLj^  ;  Ioiil;-,  slender  jjarallcl-vfinctl  k-aNcs  and 
(jx(|iiisit(-:  feathery  ferns.  To  one  who  appreciates 
the  stran_L(e  story  of  these  leaf  impressions,  )et  has 
not  the  circumscribed  microscopic  vision  of  the 
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that  went  to  press  countless  aL^es  a^o,  with  fresh  careen 
leaves  scattered  throuii^h  it,  leaves  that  seem  familiar  to 
us,  that  remind  us  of  the  beech,  the  ma_L,molia,  and  the 
oak,  leaves  such  as  may  be  fcund  in  tht!  sun-llecked 
aisles  of  any  of  our  June  forests  ;  \et  looking'  over 
the  top  of  the  pas^e  we  see  below  a  lleet  of  hu^'e  ice- 
ber^i^s,  and  beyond  the  narrow  channel  the  eternal 
ice-dome  of  Disco  Island,  cresting'  the  cliffs  antl 
reachiuLT  ijendent   i^Jacier  arms  down   then-  sides.      I 


Reconnaissance  of  i836 


27 


cIl'scciuKxI  the  slope  witli  astraiiL^n'.  unreiil  ft't'liiiL;.  half 
L'xpL'ctini,^  that  if  I  turned  and  looked  up  the  Liorije  I 
should  see  a  L(reen.  leaf-carpt'tecl  forest,  rustling  and 
shimmeriuL,^  in  the  sunliL,du.  Vet  it  is  all  a  part  of 
this  land  of  startliiiL^  contrasts,  this  land  of  midnis^du 
sun  and  noonday  nii^ht,  of  tropical  skies  and  p(.'rennial 
snow,  of  mountains  half  hitlden  beneath  the  eternal 
ice-caps,  yet  still  tinged  with  che  deej)  L,d()w  of  ancient 
volcanic  tires. 


I    ! 


ATANEKERDLUK  FOSSIL  BEDS. 


P'rom  Atanekerdluk  hack  to  Kekertak,  thence  to 
Ritenhenk,  thence  a^ij^ain  in  a  sluLi^ij^ish  tub  of  a  sail- 
boat to  Godhavn,  where  the  Jiaoic  came  for  me  on 
the  6th  of  September. 

rVom  Ciodhavn  the  /uro/r  steamed  directly  west 
across  Baffin's  Hay,  through  the  scattered  streams  of 
the  "  middle  ice,"  and  dropped  anchor  near  Aij^nes 
Monument,  just  north  of  the  river  Clyde.  The  low 
shore  here  and  the  mountains  back  of  it  were  covered 


m* 


I     • 


38 


Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 


ply 


\\'\ 


th 


snow,    an    un 


broken     ice-foot    hicl    tlie 


l)('acli,  antl  new  ice  was  ra[)i(ll)'  formini,^  In  the 
morninj^  the  ice  drove  us  out,  and  tlie  Juii^/c  steamed 
north  and  dropped  anchor  in  I)ext(Tity  Harbour  of 
the  whalers,  an  uncharted  iidet,  l>in,i(  just  north 
of  Cape  CarLienholni,  in  a  j^roup  of  entirely  unex- 
plorinl  ishuids  an.l  deep  fjords.  'I'he  surroundings  of 
tlie  harliour,  as  seen  throu_L,di  the  deep  snow  and  drift- 


ini"-  c 


loud 


s.  wc-re  wild  \\\  \\\v.  extrenK 


.Sh 


lari).  rauij'et 


mountains  enclose  its  head,  the  black,  vertical  clilis  at 
their  summits  standin_L,^  out  in  startling-  relief  aL;ainst 
the  white  shroud  which  covered  ever\thinLr  else.    Nine 


k 


di 


most  continuous  snow-storm. 
Then  at  (kuli^ht  of  the  20th  Jackman  drove  the 
lujo/i'  out  in  the  teeth  of  a  north-east  snow-storm,  and 
scjuared  away  for  I'^^linton  k'jord.  As  the;  da\'  ad- 
vanced, the  land  came  n'railuaiK'  out  from  the  clouds 
on  our  starboard  bow,  and  ^ave  a  view  of  the  bold 
headland  (jf  Cape  Adair,  in  tlu;  rear  of  which  is  a 
hii^h  conical  {)eak  very  conspicuous  to  the  north. 
'Ihe  j)eaks  north-west  of  this  have  also  a  tendency  to 
the  conical  form.  Later,  Scott  Inlet  showed  out  in 
sharp  relief  a^ains*;  a  i^hastK-  backi^round,  its  vertical 
black  walls  reachiuLi'  far  inland  amoiiL;-  the  mountains. 
Scott  Iskunl,  at  the  entrance,  is  a  L;iant  fortress,  \\h\\ 
vertical  walls  i  300  feet  hi^h,  smooth  and  true  as  if 
laid  b\-  masons. 

R(,'achinL;'  I\L;iinton,  we  heacU'd  across  for  Ra\ens- 
craiLi'  llarbour  on  the  south  side.  The  shore  here  is 
solid  rock,  with  not  a  boulder,  pebble,  or^rain  of  sand 
aloui^^  its  entire  wave-worn  extent.  In  thi'  harbour 
were  threi'  whalers,  the  Jisqiiiiuait.w  Active,  antl  Nova 
Zcnibla,  and  as  nioht  descendetl  the;  Jiao/c  dr()j)ped 
her  anchor  amon^-  them. 

Ravenscraij;'  Harbour  is  one  of  the  finest  on  this 
whole  coast,  a  narrow  deep-water  inlet,  makinj^  south 


Reconnaissance  of  1886 


29 


several  miles  into  the  land.  The  next  clay  the  Iirra 
A'iK'ii  came  in,  and  here  the  lleet  made  its  rendezvous 
f(3r  th(.'  next  ten  days,  sendinsj^  boats  out  dail)'  to 
cruise  for  whales.  With  thirtv  boats  dartinir  hack 
and   forth    over   its    surface,   the    fjord   presented 


an 


anun 


ated 


il)l)(;aranc<,' 


If  th 


U'   wmci   was  iavourai)li 


fi 


d)l( 


tile  ships  themselves  stood  out  under  canvas  (whal- 


ers never  usmj^  their  pro|)ellers  wlien  1 


n 


th 


e  vicinity 


of  whales),  and  rt'ached  back  and  forth  off  the  mouth 
of  the  fjord.      While   here   ten  bears  were  killed  by 


th 


d 


e  various  snips,  ant 
one  da)'  the  /ur^/rs 
boats  came  in  with 
the  skins  of  two 
which  they  had  har- 
pooned in  the  water. 


It      had 


th( 


CLIFF  VIEW  AT  ATANEKERDLUK. 


t  had  taken  tne 
united  efforts  of  three 
boats'  crews  to  keep 
one  of  these  power- 
ful brutes  from  climb- 
in<r  into  the  boat  and 
wreakiui^  veni^eance 
for  the  murderous 
thrust  of  the  steel. 
On  the  last  day  f)f 
September  w^e  steamed  south  to  Bute  Islantl  on 
the  south  side  of  the  Clyde.  The  coast  from  liij;- 
linton  to  the  Clyde  looks  like  the  side  of  a  lons^,  deep 
railway  cut.  The  next  afternoon  we  made  Kater 
Head  (of  the  whalers — Cape  Raper  of  the  charts). 
Here  we  found  the  Polynia,  Icrra  Xova,  and  Jis(p:i- 
maux,2i^A  alonjj;- this  coast  from  Kater  Head  to  Cape 
Kater  we  put  in  ten  days,  Durini^  this  time  it  was 
snowini^  almost  constanth',  and  younsj;'  ice  formed 
wherever  the  lee  of  a  projecting  point,  or  stream  of 


\\ 


f 


.1% 


i>. 


30 


Northuaicl  ()\cr  the  "(ircat  Ice 


old  ice,  made  calm  water.  (  )n('  forenoon  the  harom- 
eter  (ln)|)|)e(l  rapidU'.  and  in  llu!  afternoon  the  snow- 
ceased,  the  clouds  lifted,  .and  a  tremendous  swell 
came  rolIiiiL^  in  from  the  south-east.  Not  a  breath  of 
wind  disturhed  the  surface  as  the  Ioul;",  la/\'  swells, 
smoothed  by  the  pre-ssuri:  of  tlu:  ice  through  which 
they  hail  passed,  came  slippiuL;"  noiselessl)'  in,  lift- 
\\v^  and  dro|)J)in^"  the'  hu_L;i'  heri^s  as  if  they  were  hut 
corks,  anti  then,  with  clouds  of  dark  smoke  streaming 
from  their  crests  and  with  oreat  cakt's  of  hlue  ice 
home  upon  their  shoulders,  dasheil  up  the  loni( 
shoal  south-west;  of  Kater  lleail,  and  fell  upon  the 
rocks  in  vihratiniL^  thunders  of  foam  and  shattered  ic(,'. 
A*,  sunset  th(!  wi-stern  mountains  stood  intense  hlue 
steel  i)etween  llaminnr  skv  and  sea,  anil  thc-n  the  stars 
came  forth  likt,'  llashinjj^  brilliants,  the  Milky  Way  ri- 
valled tlu;  Aurora  in  brii^htness,  and  the  wind  howled 
like  mad  devils  through  the  ris4L;injj;'.  Just  the  out- 
skirts of  an  arctic  hurricane  sweepiniT  throuLrh  the 
straits  had  reached  us. 

()ctol)er  8th  1  saw  my  tu'st  whali', — in  fact  it  was  the 
first  siHMi  from  the  /unoic  for  the  s(,'ason.  The:  bi^- 
black  brute  was  phuiuL^  in  a  little  opcMiimj^  in  the 
pack  close  to  a  ber^',  antl  as  he  stootl  on  his  head 
with  his  tail  and  nearly  half  his  body  thrown  into  the 
air  against  the  white;  background  of  the  berL;",  the 
hu}4'e  tail  thrashimj^  the  water  into  columns  of  sj)ray, 
it  looked  as  if  it  would  reach  the  /uio/cs  main-\ard. 
After  a  few  minutes'  play,  he  came  out  and  started 
south,  and  though  each  shij)  in  turn  made  for  him  as  he 
passed,  he  was  too  knowing"  or  had  too  pressing-  l)usi- 
ness,  for  he  <;ave  none  of  them  a  chance.  At  Kater 
Head  a  number  of  the  natives  of  this  coast  came  on 
board.  One  family,  consisting"  of  a  wmcIow  with  one 
ijfrown  and  one  vounijfer  son  and  one  married  chiuijhter 
with  her  baby,  were  comparatively  clean  and  intelli- 


Reconnaissance  of  1886 


I 


31 


^a'in-l()<)kin_n.  The  oKl  lady  was  tattoocil  with  liiu-s 
ciir\in_L(  from  the  hridmc  of  tlir  nose  upward  o\cr  tlu.- 
(•yes,  and  also  thn-c  lines  on  each  side  from  th(!  nos- 
trils across  the  checks  hack  to  tlu:  cars.  'I'lic  daiii^lucr 
had  a  pleasant  and  even  pretty  face,  with  dark-hrown 
(•\i's,  and  a  ruddy  l;Iow  to  her  cheeks.  She  had  on 
the  peculiar  "cummiiiL^s"  ( loni^^-le^^cd  sealskin  hoots) 
wilh  huL^c  pouches  on  the  outside,  worn  1)\-  the  women 
of  this  tribe.  The  han,i^-  i>f  these  about  the  knees  re- 
minded me  of 
trousers  worn 
!)}•  I'urkish  wo- 
men. 'I  he  baby 
was  complete- 
ly cased  in  mot- 
tled fawn-skin 
e\cej)t  its  face 
antl  hands,  and 
when  removed 
from  thedi'i)ths 
of  his  mother's 
hood  for  re- 
freshments, re- 
mintled  me  of 
n  0  t  h  i  n  ijf  s  o 
m  u  c  h  as  a 
c  h  i  c  k  e  n  just 

out  of  the  ei^ii^shell.      The  boys  were  both 
faced,  intellij^ent-lookinjj;'  fellows. 

On  the  morniuL;'  )f  the  10th,  all  the  sliips  had  a 
heavy  belt  of  ice  at  ami  above  the  water-line,  and  tlu: 
thickness  of  youn!:i^  ice  everywhere  i)r(.;cluded  further 
stay  in  that  locality.  In  the  afternoon  the  Iiao/c 
headed  south  ai,^'iin.  At  midnight  we  ran  into  the 
ice-pack  north  of  Cape  Hooper,  and  the  next  da\'  in 
this  ice  three  bears  were  shot  by  Jackuian  and  myself 


THE  GORGE  AT  ATANEKERDLUK. 

Showing;  tlic  Stratitication.      <  hw  of  the  Kicli    l-'ds^il 
Heds  i>  just  at  tlic  Left  of  tlic  I'lacc  ^ln)\^■M  in  tlic 


ricluic. 


I)i<^  open- 


'    ft 


32 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


i 


k 


"s 


from  the  sliip.  There;  is  hut  little  of  the  excitement 
of  clatiLii'er  in  this  sport,  i)ut  there  is  an  excitement  in 
heinj^-  driven  throui^h  the  ice,  and  kept  in  rani^e  of 
the  hU^  L^ame,  hy  such  a  ([uiverinu;",  jjowerful  steed  as 
one  of  tht;se  whalers.  The  ice  was  heavy  enough  so 
that  the  Jiaolc  at  her  hest  could  harely  keej)  up  with  the 
bears,  and  w^hat  with  the  constant  jumpinij^  and  trcMii- 
blin<r  of  the  vessel  as  she  struck  the  solid  pans,  and 
the  motion  of  the  bears  as  they  leaped  from  piece  to 
piece,  ran  behind  hummocks,  antl  i)lunL(ecl  into  the 
wider  lanes  of  water,  wn  usually  burned  sev(M"al  car- 
tridges apiece  beforj  the  bear  dropped.  There  was 
never  any  uncertainty  is  to  whether  a  bullet  reached 
the  mark  or  not,  everyone  that  struck  beiuL^  followed 
by  a  savage  snap  at  the  woimd.  One  of  the  bears,  as 
he  started  to  canter  away,  received  a  bullet  from  my 
Winchester  throui^h  his  hind  foot,  'dicitin<^  a  bite  and 
a  double-barrelh'd  kick,  and  acceleratini^  his  speed  ; 
another  from  the  Captain  through  the  other  foot  elic- 
ited another  bite  and  kick  ;  then  followed  several  in- 
effective shots,  and  he  took  to  the  water  ;  here  1  <^ot 
a  bullet  in  his  head  which  staLi'L;ered  him,  and  as  he 
was  attemptinij;' to  climb  out  on  the  ice,  another  in  flie 
])ase  of  the  skull  tumblcnl  him  over,  an  inert  mass.  He 
WMS  ai^aunt  old  fellow,  without  an  ounce  of  fat  on  him, 
with  a  maLi^nilic(Mit  head  and  set  of  ivoric^s,  and  arms 
that  \vould  be  worth  a  fortune  to  a  prize-fighter. 

Shortly  after  noon  of  the  13th,  the  Juii^k  drove 
throujj;h  the  compacted  edi^e  of  the  pack,  and  entered 
the  dark  wind-tossed,  ice-free  waters  of  the  Strait, 
off  Cape  Walsini^ham. 

The  next  afternoon  we  were  caui^ht  by  an  arctic 
hurricane,  before  w^hich  the  snow  drove  in  level  sheets 
across  the  deck,  and  a  friii'htful  sea  arose,  with  inde- 
scribal)U;  rapidity.  We  ran  before  it  till  all  the  whalino-- 
^ear  was  passed  from  the  boats  down  into  the  hold,  to- 


(- 

< 
o 

H 

a 

X 

H 

b 
(I. 
O 

Oi 

.J 

< 

o 

H 
O 

o 

CO 


i   ( 


I   i 


!'■  I 


|i' 


34 


Northward  over  the  "Great  lee" 


I 


w-    I 


trcthL'i*  witli  t'vc  r)thin<4-  movable  on  deck,  the  boats 
themselves  double-lash(xl,  hatches  battened  down, 
and  extra  _<^ask(;ts  on  the  sails.  Then  with  braces 
mann(;d  by  the  entire  crew,  and  three  men  lashed  at 
the  wheel,  the  old  ship  was  ready  to  round  to  into 
the  teeth  of  the  storm.  Clinirino-  to  the  weather  end 
of  the  brids^e,  wuth  everything-  excei)t  our  eyes  cased 

in  the  snow,  stood  Jack- 
man  and  myself,  watch- 
\n<^  the  matl  seas  which 
came  tumbling  after  us 
throuu^h  the  blindini:^ 
drift.  For  a  few  mo- 
ments, there  was  utter 
silence  as  to  human 
sounds.  Then  a  ij^retMi 
monster  tlun^-  the 
Eao/cs  stern  hi  oh  in  the 
air,  poured  over  the 
taftrail,  burst  throuj^h 
the  propeller  trunk,  and 
passed  ahead.  ''Let /la- 
conic/''— a  jump  to  the 
eUL^ine-room  signal,  the 
wheel  tlew  round,  the 
braces  eased  off,  and, 
uroed  by  propeller,  sails, 
and  rudde*",  the  Juro/c 
whirled  like  a  top,  rose  to  a  second  orey-^^reen  mon- 
ster, climbed  throuLi^h  its  top,  and  pinniped  down  its 
rearward  slope.  Th(?  foreyard  cockbilled  with  a  loud 
crash,  the  foretopsail  llew  out  with  a  report  like  a 
piece  of  artiller}-,  then  si)lit  in  thrashint^  streamers, 
and  then  with  sails  of  iron  straining-  at  the  sheets  till 
they  were  like  the  slant,  half-closed  winos  of  her  swoop- 
ing- namesake,  the  Juro/c  heeled  over  to  the  hurricane, 


CAPTAIN  ARTHUR  JACKMAN 
OF  THE   "EAGLE." 


Hi    ■^' 


Q 

Z 
O 

o 

CO 

Q 
Z 
< 

Oi 

a 
a 

o 

O 

Z 

Ci] 
Oi 
Q 

J 

X 
o 

Q 
Z 

z 

Ci] 

o 

o 
s 

cfl 


!;., 


36 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


and,  with  Icc-rail  under  water,  "  lay  to."  A  little  later, 
the  lee  side  was  swept  clear  of  boats,  davits,  and 
stanchions  ;  then  a  vicious  sea  stove  the  weather  bul- 
warks, and  water  came  pourin«(  down  the  companion- 
way,  settincr  everythinij^  in  the  cabin  aHoat.  Just 
before  dark,  a  piercini^  cry  of  "  Ice  !"  came  from  the 
lookout  forward,  and  there,  in  the  troujji'h  ahead,  wal- 
lowed a  huge  blue,  nearly  submerged  mass.  As  the 
Eaolc  plunged  down  upon  it,  it  secmied  from  the  bridge 
as  if  her  jib-boom  cleared  by  scarcely  a  foot,  then  she 
answered  her  helm,  fell  off,  and  sheered  by  it.  For  a 
moment,  hurled  aloft  on  the  crest  of  a  wave,  it  swung 
high  above  her  quarter  as  she  scraped  past,  then  a  bub- 
bling whirlpool,  and  a  glimmer  of  blue  beneath  the 
Eagle s  stern,  showed  where  it  had  plunged  beneath 
the  surface.  Then  the  blackest  of  nights  fell  on  us, 
as  we  stood  out  into  the  Strait.  At  midnight  the  snow 
had  ceased,  the  moon  was  shining  brightly,  and  the 
Eagle  riding  easily  on  the  subsiding  waves.  Coming 
about  in  the  morning,  we  steamed  for  the  American 
whaling  station  in  Cumberland  Sound,  where  we  lay 
at  anchor  sixteen  days.  Then  on  the  ist  of  Novem- 
ber we  hoisted  anchor  and  for  twenty-four  hours 
fought  our  way  out  through  heavy  young  ice.  The 
brave  old  ship,  staggering  and  quivering  from  keel 
to  truck,  rammed  and  fought  her  way  through  the 
tough,  rapidly  hardening  pack,  in  her  struggle  to 
escape  imprisonment  for  the  winter.  This  battle  with 
the  ice  was  very  different  from  those  on  the  upward 
voyage  in  June.  Then,  it  was  the  quick  smashing 
work  of  a  powerful  and  accomplished  fighter.  Now, 
it  was  the  steady,  killing  pull  of  a  giant,  straining  at 
a  load  which  he  could  barely  move. 

Two  days  were  passed  in  the  shelter  of  Field  Bay, 
and  then  our  course  was  resumed  south  again,  and  all 
night  long,  with  engines  throbbing  at  full  speed,  with 


'r-'-~^      c£. 


s  0  ^  \        V  \'    \\^ 


^ 


55 


Route  of 

SUMMER  VOYAGK, 

1«8G. 


I'pward  Vojujte  of  E.VGLIC 

Ite  C'up  Jtoulo 

Iteturii  Voyuice  ot  KACLV. 


if       U 


38 


Northward  over  the  ** Great  Ice" 


every  sail  black  iis^ainst  the  southern  moon,  with 
black  masts  swayini^  to  and  fro  amonj^  the  stars,  the 
liaolc  went  racintr  southward  across  the  Strait  of 
Hudson,  beneath  the  blazins^  curtain  of  a  magnificent 
aurora. 

At  first  the  aurora  extended,  in  a  brilliant  white, 
waving  curtain,  north  and  south  across  the  Strait,  its 
bottom  seeming  to  brush  the  mast-heads.  Then  the 
curtain  disappeared,  and  scurrying  wreaths  and 
streams  of  pale  amorphous  light  came  rushing  north- 
ward ov^er  the  ship,  and,  forming  in  serpentine  folds, 
waved  and  fiuttered,  waxed  and  waned,  separated  and 
ran  together  again,  with  a  rapid,  Buttering  motion, 
which  I  can  compare  only  to  the  rapid  opening  and 
shutting  of  a  Japanese  fan  ;  and  finally,  agitated  by 
some  ghostly  whirlwind,  till  every  fold  shot  green  and 
gold  and  violet  and  crimson  fiames,  they  broke  in 
flying  fragments,  and  dissolved  into  faint,  luminous 
clouds. 

After  this,  a  week  of  head-winds  and  storms,  driv- 
ing mists,  snow,  and  a  waste  of  mad  grey-green  waves, 
sometimes  lighted,  for  a  moment,  by  bursts  of  pale 
November  sunlight,  was  passed  along  the  Labrador 
coast.  On  the  i  7th  of  November  the  Eagle  steamed 
into  the  harbour  of  St.  John's,  and  my  first  arctic  voy- 
age was  at  an  end.  But  the  northern  bacilli  were  in 
my  system,  the  arctic  fever  in  my  veins,  never  to  be 
eradicated. 


OBJECTS. 

"  To  gain  a  practical  knoivlcdgc  of  the  obstacles  and  ice  con- 
ditions of  the  interior  of  Greenland ;  to  put  to  the  test  of 
actual  use  certain  methods  and  details  of  equipment  ;  to  mcike 
such  scientific  observations  as  may  be  practicable ;  and  to 
push  into  the  interior  as  far  as  possible."  ' 

RESULTS. 


Attainment  of  greater  elevation  than  ever  before  reached  on 
the  Inland  lee. 

Penetration  a  greater  distance  than  any  zvhite  man  pre- 
viously. 

Attainment  for  first  time  of  the  real  interior  plateau  of 
unchanging  snoiv. 

Determination  of  ruling  characteristics  of  the  Inland  lee 
from  border  to  interior.  (See  article  in  '^Bulletin  Am.  Geog. 
Soc,"  No.  3,  1887,//.  286-88.; 

Securing  of  an  invaluable  fund  of  definite  practical  knoivl- 
edge  and  experience  of  actual  ice-cap  conditions  and  necessary 
equipment,  as  tcell  as  practical  hnori'ledge  of  arctic  navigation 
and  a  familiarity  with  a  cousid^mble  extent  of  the  arctic 
coasts. 

Incept io)i  of  ideas  of  pronounced  future  value,  as  odometer, 
sails,  etc. 

The  folloiving  deductions '  : 

'  Paper  read  before  National  Academy  of  Sciences,  at  Washington,  April  23, 
1886. 
"  Bull.  Am.  Geog.  Soc,  No.  3,  18S7,  pp.  288,  289. 

39 


^1 


OBJECTS  AND   RESULTS  OF  1886  RECON- 
NAISSANCE. 


'f  ' 


40 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


.' 


Attacks  upon  the  biland  Ice  should  he  uiade  at  a  point  as 

far  above  level  of  sea  as 
possible,  and  xchere  the  pres- 
ence of  large  and  rapidly 
discharging  glaciers  indi- 
cates a  rapid  ascent  to  high 
elevation  in  close  proximity 
to  coast. 

Party  should  be  small  and 
thoroughly  accustomed  to 
snoio-shoes  and  ski. 

Surface  of  ftdand  Ice 
offers  imperial  highway  to 
East  Coast,  and,  in  case  the 
ice-cap  is  coextensive  with 
the  land,  to  the  northern 
termi)ius  of  Greenland. 

Proposal  of  the  folloiving 
prophetic  routes  : 

"  From  base  of  Noursoak 
Peninsula  to  head  of  Franz 
Joseph   Fjord,   and  return. 

''From  J I  hale  Sound  to 
northern  terminus  of  Green- 
land or  intersection  of  ice- 
cap with  East  Coast. '  {B) 
This  route  the  key  to  the 
Greenland  Problem. 

"  From  Disco  Bay  to  Cape 
Dan:'  '  {D) 

'  This  route  actually  covered  l)y 
me  in  1892. 

"  This  route  utilised  by  Nansen  in 
188S.     {E) 


1      !l 


PART  II. 

NORTH    (IREKNL     M)    EX  I-KDITIOX    ()F     I  89  I -I  892. 


CHAPTER  I. 


BROOK LVX    T(J    McCURMKK     HAV. 

Starting  from  Brooklyn— East  Rivkr  Stkamhoats  Wiiisii.e  tiikir 
Adieus— My  Heavy-Eaden  Barkentine— I'irposes  ok  the  North  Okeen- 
LAM)  Exi'EijrnoN— Its  Personnel  and  Eqiip.ment— Oik  Companions  on 

THE  VoVACiE- STOI'I'EI)  BY  ICE  IN  THE  StRAIT  OK  BeI.I.K  IsI.K— (  JrEKNI.AND's 

Grand  Mountains  Come  into  View— Our  First  Eiit.d  Day  in  the  Arctic 
Reoions— A  Panoramic  Survey  ok  Mountains,   Fjords,  Glaciers,  Ice- 

BERCS,     AND    SEA— CaUGHT    IN    THE    ICE  OK    MeLVII.LE    BaY— THREE    WeEKS 

Battling  with  the  Pack— A  Broken  I,e<;— The  North  Water  Reached 
AT  Last— We  Meet  the  Arctic  Highlanders— The  Site  Selected  for 
OUR  North  Greenland  Home. 


a. 


If 


i 


li 


i' 


im 


t   'I 


ASTRUP. 


HENSON. 


\ 


,1  1^ 


\ 


bkookl.NN    TO    MnokMK  K     I'.AV. 

TIII'^  last  boxes  and 
parcels  were  finally 
stowed  a\va\'  on  niv 
little  harkentine.  At  live 
in  the  afternoon  of  June 
6.  1 89 1,  th(;  /\//r  cast  off 
from  the  foot  of  iJaltic 
Street,  Brookhn,  a  n  d 
swuno-  out  into  the  l^ast 
Rivi;r.  Cienial  sunliL^ht 
illumined  the  faces  of  a 
crowd  o  f  friends  a  n  d 
sightseers,  wavin_L^  adieus  from  the  end  of  the-  j)ier. 
We  were  fairly  off  for  North  Cirt^cmland,  and  e\erv 
ferryboat  and  steamitr  in  the  crowded  Mast  Ri\er  knew 
it.  Scores  of  whistles  Yrddv,  us  ^ood-bNt-  and  /fo/i 
:'()va<^i\  All  the  way  up  the  Hast  Ri\er  (lip|)in^'  tlai^^s 
L;'a\'e  us  hail  and  fan-well.  The  lUn^t  of  bi^"  Sound 
steamers  passed  us  one  1)\-  one,  whistles  saluting"  and 
decks  crowded  with  passen^c'rs  waving-  handkerchiefs. 
At  I'dushin)^^  and  other  points,  man\-  \'achts  salut(Hl 
with  their  L^uns  ;  and  it  was  not  until  niL^ht  hid  us 
that  the  inspirini^  God-si)eeds  of  our  friends  and  well- 
wishers  W(;re  heard  no  more.  Our  little  world.  \er\' 
much  cramped  for  elbow-room,  for  every  inch  ot  space 

43 


i 


■u 


/I 


>^. 


44         Northward  over  the  "(ireat  Ice" 

Im'Iovv    deck    was    tilled,    and    the    deck    itself   hidden 
under  my  e(|ui|)ineiu.  was  left  to  its(df  at  last. 

Sixteen  persons  coniprisiHl  the  i)assenLjer  list  of  th(; 
little  AV/6'.      Se\(n   of    them   were    members    of    my 


CAPTAIN  RICHARD  PIKE  OF  THE   "KITE." 

Nortl'.  Greenland  Expedition,  while  nine  formed  the 
scientific  party  sent  out  by  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences,  Philad(;li)hia,  to  accompany  me  to  my  d(,'sti- 
nation,  and  then  make  such  investio;ations  in  their 
scientific  specialties  as  time  permitted  before  the  A7/<: 


i!    I 


.  r, 


Brooklyn  to  McConnick  Bay 


45 


returned   home 


IS  party  was  known 


as  the  West 


Th 

Greenlaiul   I'-xpedition. 

I  had  limited  m\-  own  parly  to  the  niimher  of  men 
al)S()lutely    re(|uired    for   the    work    I    proposed    to    do. 
I'he  (la\'  of  lar^c  expechtions  in  successful  arctic  ex- 
ploration   I    l)elie\cd   had   L;(»ne  hy.       The  L^real  Woi'k 
of  the  future,  like  nuich  of  that   of   the   i)asi.  will   l)e 


done    i)\'   \(r\-  smal 


man    i)e\<)iu 


1   ih 


parties, 
il 


Vn\ 


le\ilVJ 


that 


Kr   numher  ahsohilelv  essen 


tial 


e\  er\- 

is   an 


element  of  danger  and  failure,  1  had  selected  from 
the  hundreds  of  applicants,  whose  letters  had  been 
pouring'  in  for  months,  onl)'  ti\-e  men  to  share  mv  fort- 


un(,'s. 


Tl 


\rv    were  all   n'ouul:',  and 


1  addition  to  i)os- 


sessin^'   lii'st-class  physicpu;   and   perlecl  health,  were 


men  o 


f  education  and  attainments. 


I  1 


)eiieve  this  to 


i)e  the  t\pe  of  mail  hest  fitted  to  eiidup'  with  mini- 
mum unfavourable  elfect  the  ordeal  of  the  arctic 
inter,    and    to    elfectivelv    execute    a    two    or   three 


w 


months     dash     on     sledijes,    where     in 


Itell 


i''cnt    wil 


power,    \()uthful    elasticit}'.   and    enthusiasm   rise   su- 


pc.Tior  to  tlu;  s 
f 


i)\'  N'ears  ot  work 


tolid 
•k 


f 


M 


eiKliirance  ot    muscles 
\'  assistants  were  : 


hard 


elled 


l''rederick  A.  Cook,  M.l).,  the  sur-'con  and  eth 


no- 

loj^ist  of  the  expedition,  a  nouiil;'  physician  and  sur- 
geon, a  native  of  X(;w  York  State,  a  graduate;  of  the 
College;  of  Physicians  antl  Surgeons,  and  of  the  I'ni- 
versit)'  of  the;  Cit\'  of  Xew  N'ork.  lie  had  been 
practising;'  his  [)rofession  in  Xew  \'ork  Cit\'  for  sev- 
eral \-ears.       \\v  was  twenty-six  \-ears  old. 

Lam^^don    Ciibson,   of   blushiiiL;-,    L.  I.,  m\-   ornitho- 
loL^ist   and  chief  hunter,  a   stalwart   \(>un!4"   hunter  of 

'  ScliwatkaV  threat  sIc-iIl^c  joiiriu'V  was  iiiaclc  witii  fnur  uliito  incii  and  an 
I'!>kini().  ('aptaiii  1  lolni's  parly  tn  lla'-t  l  Ireciiland  nunilicit-d  fmir.  I'ayer.  in 
1  ran/  (osif  Land,  st.irtuii  uitli  >c\fn,  but,  liiidini;  tlii^  nuniher  cunilircais.  lie 
loft   fmir  and   puslicd  alicad  with  tuo.       I'lio  c\iil'  raiioiis  of  tiii' ( irn-lv  i'.xpe- 


loiis  am 


tlitiiiii   wire   made   liy  parlies  of   three   men.      11  all's  earlier  exjilKrat 
Clraaii's  jnurney  alon;^  tiie  ea^t  coast  of  (ireenland  are  striking;  examples  ol  the 


success  that  may  attend  the  efforts  of  ('//(•  resolute 


man  in  arctic  exploration. 


1' 


,Ki 


46 


Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 


1  ■ 


I 


m 


I 


I)  it' 


t\v('nt)-si.\.  a  nicnihcr  of  the  American  ()rnith()]()ij;-ists' 
Union.  \{(i  was  one  of  th(,'  Hmwn-Stanton  party  in 
the  Colorado  Canon  survey  of    iScSq-qo. 


CHIEF  ENGINEER  JARDINE,  2d  ENGINEER  McKINLEY,  AND 
"BOSUN"    DUNPHY. 

iMvind  Astrii])  of  Christiania,  Norway,  twenty  \'ears 
old,  was  a  stalwart  \()un<'"  f',llow  who  hail  hut  recently 
come  to  the  I'nited  States.  The  son  of  the  Com- 
mander of  the  Royal  Civil  Cuard  of  Christiania,  he 
was  a  hrst-class  tj;-raduate  of  the  Christiania  Commer- 
cial Collet^e,  and  a  winnc-r  of  numerous  prizes  in  ath- 
letic sj){)rts,  especialh"  ski-runnino-. 

John  M.  X'erhoeff,  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  my  mineral- 
ogist and  meteoroloirist,  was  twent\-h\e  \-ears  old,  and 
educated  in  an  Eastern  uni\ersit)'.  Mr.  X'erhoeff 
contrihuted  j^enerously  to  the  exi)enses  of  the  expe- 
dition. 

IVIatthew  Henson,  my  hody-servant,  a  hardy  col- 
ouretl  man,  was  a  native  of  X'^iririnia,  twenty-three  years 


(; 


,.  I:,' 


Brooklyn  to  McCormick  Hay 


47 


old.  1  lis  intclliL^cMici:  ami  faithfulness,  combined  with 
more  than  avera_L(e  pluck  and  endurance,  as  shown 
during-  several  years  that  lu;  had  been  with  me  through 
varying'  exi)eriences,  part  of  the  time  in  XicarajL^i^uan 
iuiiLrles,  led  me  to  reirard  him  as  a  \aluable  membt'r 
of  the  party. 

Mrs.  Peary  accompanied  the  party.  ]\)ssessed  of 
health,  youth,  energy,  and  e-nthusiastic  interest  in  the 
work,  she  saw  no  reason  why  she  couKl  not  endure 
conditions  and  (Mixironment  similar  to  those  in  wliich 
Hanisli  wives  in  (ireenland  pass  years  of  llieir  life. 
I  concurred  in  this  opinion,  and  belie\'ed  tliat  in  many 
ways  her  prc^sence  and  assistance  would  contribute  to 
the  valuable  results  of  the  expedition,  as  the\'  were 
i'  .aluable  to  me  in  the  prej)aration.  I^xcnts  pro\-ed 
the  entin;  correctness  of  this  l)elief. 


TIM. 


Both  the   North   Greenland   and   West   Oreenland 
Expeditions  were  under  my  command  until  the  for- 


fill 


( 


5  i 

i 


ilr 


V 


\(\ 


4S 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


nicr  was  landed  at  its  winter  quarters  in  McCormick 
l^)ay.  The  West  CirctMiland  Expedition  then  began 
its  distinctive  work  under  command  of  Prof.  Ani^elo 
Ilcilprin,  I'^xecutor  Curator  of  the  Academy  of  Nat- 
ural   Sciences.    Philadelphia,    and    a   n'coloj^ist    of    in- 


ternational   reputcition 


Associated    with    Professor 


Heilprin,  were:  Prof,  lienjamin  Sharj),  zo(')loL(ist  in 
charge;  Prof.  J,  \\  Holt,  zoologist;  Dr.  William  \i. 
lluijhes,   ornitholoL'^ist ;   Mr,    Le\i   \\\   iMenL''cl,   ento- 


m 


oloLHst  ;     Dr.    Willi; 


Ull 


H,     Purk.    Ijotanist  ;     Mr. 


Alexander  C.  Kenealy,  a  reporter  for  tlu,'  New  York 


K 


eelv. 


Jr.,   surj^eon 


and 


Herald ;    Dr.    Robert    N. 
Mr.  P'razer  Ashhurst. 

The  master  of  tlu;  Kite,  a  steam  sealer  of  2S0  tons, 
was  the  late  Captain  Richard  Pike,  a  famous  arctic 
ski|)per  and  one  of  the  best  of  ice  naviL^ators.  Mis 
death,  in  the  sj)rinnr  of  1S93,  was  widel\-  rej^retted. 
As  conimander  of  the  Proteus,  he  took  Lieutenant 
(ireely's  P^xpedition,  in  i(SSi,  to  Lad)-  P'ranklin  Hay. 
()n  that  occasion.  Captain  i'ike  made  a  phenomenally 
raj)id  run  up  Smith  Sound  to  the  site  of  Lieutenant 
Greely's  camp.  Two  years  later.  Captain  I'ike  was  in 
command  of  the  Profens  when  Lieutenant  Carlin^ton 
attempted  to  relieve  Creely  ;  and  after  the  vessel  was 
crushed  in  the  ice  near  Capt:  Sabine,  he  retreated  with 
his  crew  in  open  whale-boats  acrcjss  Melville  Hay  to 
I'ljernavik. 

Cai)tain  Pik(,'  and  his  crew  numbered  fifteen  per- 
sons, making-  a  total  of  thirty-one  souls  who  had  to 
be  packed  away  in  the  very  snuoyest  of  (juarters  in 
the  cabin  berths,  deck-house,  and  forecastle.  The 
Kite  was  a  staunch,  strong'  vessel  well  adapted  for 
the  vovaij'e,  with  a  steamimj'  i)ower  of  sc;ven  knots. 
.She  had  been  thoroughly  overhauled  and  additional 
cal)in  accommodations  put  into  her  for  my  party. 

The  question  of    my   food   supplies,  clothing',  and 


Brooklyn  to  McConnick  Bay 


49 


other  equipment,  and  scientific  outfit,  had  been  the 
suhiect  of  lonii'  study  and  careful  digestion  of  the 
experience  of  ni)'  predecessors. 


COD-FISHING  IN  STRAIT  OF   BELLE  ISLE. 

My  ecjuipinent  was  one  of  th(;  most  modest  and  in- 
expensive ever  taken  to  the  "White  North."  \'et 
nothinij;'  was  omitted  that  was  essential  to  our  comfort 
or  success. 

The  food  su[)pl)- tliffered  little  from  that  of  the  later 
arctic  expeditions,  I  had  a  )ear  and  a  half's  sup- 
plies ;  with  tea,  coffee,  su^ar,  and  milk  in  sufficient 
(juantity  to  last  two  and  a  half  years.  I  took  little 
meat  except  pemmican  for  the  ice-cap  journey,  as  I 
exp(,'Cted    to   secure   an   abundance   of    reiiuleer    and 


I-  t 


/; 


50 


Northward  over  the  "  Great  lee 


?*•    .:  ! 


I&.f    (H. 


other  frcsli  meat  at  my  winter  cam|).  Iuaj)()ratecl 
vej^ctables  in  hirije  variet\-,  antl  Ix-ef-meal,  pcmmican, 
and  cocoa  taljlets  had  been  prepared  expressly  for  the 
expedition. 

I  carried  kimber  for  a  i  2  x  20  feet  liouse.  I  liad  two 
whale-boats,  Mai'v  Pcavy  and  Faith,^  built  exjjressly  for 
the  expedition.  The  former  was  named  Mary  I\ar\\ 
after  the  mother  to  whom  I  owe  so  much  ;  the  latter, 
Faith,  after  the  sturdy  boat  which  thirty  years  a^o 
brought  Dr.  Kane  and  his  brave  companions  back  to 
friends  and  civilisation,  past  the  same  cliffs  and  ba\  s 
that  were  to  know  this  new  Faith. 

I  took  the  two  sledges  used  by  me  in  my  recon- 
naissance of  the  Inland  Ice  in  1SS6,  antl  an  amjjle  sujj- 
ply  of  timber  for  makiuLi^  new  ones. 

Other  important  items  were  Indian  snow-shoes, 
Norwesj;^ian  ski,  moccasins  and  rubber  ice-creepers,  al- 
cohol stoves,  and  an  abundance  of  woollen  clothing;'. 
Vor  my  fur  clothino-,  as  for  ni)-  meat  sujjply,  I  de- 
pended upon  the  rei^ion  about  my  headquarters. 

My  firearms  consisted  of  Winchester  44-calil)rt;  re- 
peating- carbines.  45-calibre  repeating-  ritles,  Winches- 
ter repeatini^-  shot-^uns  10  ^aui^e,  a  I)aly  3-barrel  L;un, 
shot  barrels  10  Li'au^e,  rille  barrel  45  calil)re.  Am- 
munition consisted  of  one  size  shells  and  two  sizes 
riile  cartridi^es. 

My  surveyino'  outfit  comprised  one;  small  theodolite, 
arranjL^ed  expressly  by  I'auth  (S:  Co.,  of  Washington, 
with  prismatic  eyepiece  and  coloured  glasses  ;  oih^  7- 
inch  sextant  with  artificial  horizon  and  extra  mercur\-  ; 
a  pocket  sextant  ;  three  pocket  chronometc  ''s,  made 
expressly  for  me  by  the   Howard  Watch  Co..  of  llos- 

'  One  of  tlieni,  l)iiilt  by  S.  II.  Mitcliell,  nf  New  HfdfciKl.  was  28  ft-el  I'Hil,'.  6 
feet  heam,  and  28  inclies  deej)  aiiiidslii|)s,  \veiyliiii<;  alxnit  1000  ])i.iiiid'-  and 
carrying  one  sprit-sail  and  a  larj^e  jil).  'I'he  otlier,  built  by  Reeves  i\:  ("mnstdck, 
of  New  London,  Conn.,  was  28  feet  long,  6  feet  beam,  and  24  inclies  deep, 
weighing  (lOO  pounds.     It  had  twD  masts  (sliding  (liinter  rig). 


'S  \ 


lilt 


Hrooklyn  to  McCorniick  Uiiy  51 

ton  ;  scxcral  c()nii)ass('s  of  ditTcrcnt  \arictics  ;  tixc 
aneroid  barometers  ;  a  hoilino-poiiu  ai)i)aratiis  ;  steel 
tapes,  odometers,  and  field-i^lasses. 

I'or  meteor()loL;ical  work  1  had  a  nicrnirial  baro- 
meter. h)-dr()meter.  and  sc\-cral  sets  maximum  aii<l 
minimum  tliermomctcrs  ;  scxcral  special  mininnnn 
thermometers,  a  number  of  ordinar)-  mercurial  ther- 
m()nK;ters,  a  deej^-sea  tiuM-mometer,  and  an  anemo- 
meter. 


DECK  SCENE  AFTER  HEAVY  WEATHER. 

My  photoo-raj)hic  outfit  consisted  of  i'lastman  Xo. 
4  kodaks  and  films,  made  e.\i)ressly  for  mv.  b\-  th(.' 
Eastman  Compan\-. 

Miscellaneous  items  were  na\\-l)lue  lii^hts  and  sit^- 
nals,  rockets,  l)urnin|^--o"lasses.  Hint  and  steel.  |)ocket 
lamps,  and  man\-  other  articles  too  insii^nificant  to 
mention,   yet   of   imj)ortance    in   a   region    where    not 


^   ^ 


I 


I      I 


L 


,■.  i 


^ 


52  Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

even   a  |)icc(;  of   striiiL;-  or  a   i)ai)(.'r   of    pins    can    he 
ol)tain('(l. 

(  )n  June  iitli,  the  fifth  da)'  out  from  New  \'ork, 
we  slcaniccl  into  Sy(hic\-  harliour.  and  while  the  crew 
s|)cnt  a  da\-  tilling-  ihc  coal-hunkers,  the  mcmhers  of 
the;  two  e.\i)editions  enjoNcd   to   the  utniosl  their  last 


^ 

% 

4 

4 

t4 

1^ 

>9 

^ 

V 

<*,. ' 

i      fl 

M^^ 

^W^{fi 

H 

i 

ifc»^ 

WmM 

M 

■■*•. .  -* 


'.»i.\^ 


MRS.  PEARY  AND  GROUP  OF  DANISH-ESKIMO  WOMEN  AT  GODHAVN. 

day  in  civilisation.  By  TViday  cvcnino;,  the  12th  inst.. 
180  tons  of  coal  from  the  Cape  Breton  min-^s  had 
been  taken  aboard,  irivini'-  us  over  three  hunderd  tons 


1.     ^ 


Brooklyn  to  McComiick  H:iy 


D.-) 


in  the  hunkers  and  liokl  antl  on  (U'ck.  Then,  with  a 
kist  Liiance  at  the;  hills  around  the  hay,  onl\-  recently 
reclad  with  verdure  h\' the  av  akeiiiuLi'  touch  of  sprini;', 
we  put  to  sea,  anil  headed  northward  across  the  ("lulf 
of  St.  Lawrence;  for  th(;  Strait  of  i5iHe  Isle.  It  was 
li^htnin^'  sharply  astern,  and  1)\-  noon  next  day  the 
L^rowiuL;"  wind  had  risen  to  a  ^ale,  aiul  lifi  hecanie 
a  hurden  to  the  poor  sailors  in  our  i)arty.  The  littk- 
KiU\  however,  proved  herself  a  i^ood  sea  hoat.  lier 
waist  and  a  part  of  her  ([uarter-deck  were  tilled  to  the 
rail  with  coal,  and  th(;  rest  of  the  deck  was  jjacked 
full  of  trunks,  hoxes,  and  harrels.  Hut  in  sj)it(.;  of  lu;r 
heav\-  load  she  rode  much  (easier  than  was  to  he  i-x- 
pectc.'d.  I)urinj4'  Saturda)'  nii^ht  the  si-a  went  down, 
and  Sunda\'  was  comi)aratively  pleasant.  Steaniini; 
alono"  th(;  west  coast  of  Xewfoundland,  wi-  coukl  see 
now  and  then,  through  rifts  in  the  fo^".  the  snow- 
streaked  mountain  sides.  \x.  Sydne\-,  the  .Strait  of 
Belle  Isle  was  reported  to  he  free  of  ice,  hut  early 
jMonday  morning',  just  within  the  Strait,  we  ran  into 
pack-ice,  and  the  memhers  of  ni)'  part)'  had  their  first 
exjjerience  of  this  common  phase  oi  arctic  navi^aticjn. 
This  occurrence  of  heavy  arctic  ice  in  the  Strait  of 
Belle  Isle,  chokinj^-  it  from  cw^X  to  cMid,  was  unpreced- 
ented for  this  time  of  year.  The  ice-pans  rose  and 
fell  with  the  undulations  of  the  sea,  and  the  rhythmic 
roar  of  th(;  white  pack's  heavinLC  edi^e  was  grander  than 
any  surf  upon  the  shore.  The;  cakes  were  from  li\c  to 
one  hundred  feet  in  diameter,  and  from  one  to  ei^ht 
feet  thick,  some  tin\'  pinnacles  rising'  from  ei^ht  to 
ten  feet.  As  we  moved  hack  and  forth  alonLi'  the  ice 
edire,  vainh'  seeking-  a  lead  that  would  take  us  north, 
we  secured  fine  views  of  the  L;rim  shores  of  New- 
foundland and  Lahrador.  Some  Xewfoundland  fish- 
ermen put  off  to  us  in  hoats  to  tell  us  of  their  sore 
straits,  for  many  were  ill  in  their  settlement.      They 


\l:\   < 


A 


54 


Northward  over  the  "Great  lee" 


l>  H 


I    S' 


liad  IK)  nicdicincs.  and  no  ship  had  xisitcd  ihcm  for 
man\-  months.  W'c  L;a\c  thcni  nicthcines,  and  letters 
for  our  fritMiils, 

Impatient   of   delay    as    I    was,    I    still   enjoyt'd   the 
no\-el  situation.      When  the  A'/Zr,  tired  of  huntiuL;-  for 

a  lead,  anchored  now  antl 
then  to  a  tloe,  we  fished 
and  photoL^raphed.  or 
L,^()t  out  our  ski  and 
snow-shoes  and  had  a  lit- 
tle i)ractice.  We  caught 
four  huntlred  [K)unds  of 
fine  codfish,  and  saltetl 
down  a  barrel  for  our 
North-( Greenland  larder. 
Myriads  of  looms,  kitti- 
wakes,  herrinij;-  l,^u11s,  and 
seals  o'ave  life  and  move- 
ment to  the  scene.  Scen- 
ic splendours  were  not 
wantiuLT.  On  Mondav 
ni^'ht  we  enjoyed  an  ex- 
quisite sunset.  A  mir- 
ror-like sea  reflected  the 
rosy  glories  of  the  west- 
ern sk\-,  and  the  Labra- 
dor coast  was  purpkt  as 
amethyst.  Ice.  fantastic- 
ally carved,  floated  all 
around  us,  and  the  still- 
ness was  broken  by  cries  of  ^ulls  and  puffin<^  ot  whales. 
DuriuLi;'  five  days  we  struo's^led  with  the  ice,  forcins^ 
ahead  a  few  miles,  onh'  to  be  caught  and  drifted  back 
a^j^ain.  At  last,  Triday  afternoon,  we  felt  the  swell  of 
the  open  sea  aij^ain.  and  crowding-  on  all  steam  and  sail, 
were  soon  free,  and  bowliuL;-  alonj^  at  an  eight-knot  pace. 


CLIMBING  THE  GODHAVN  CLIFFS. 


Brooklyn  to  McCormick  Hay 


.•>.■> 


As  we  j)assc(l  IW-llc-Islc  lights,  the  keepers  ran  up 
the  I)ritish  lla^  to  shtnv  that  the\'  saw  us,  and  |)er- 
haps  ill  ^reetini;'  to  the  first  \-essel  they  hail  seen  that 
year.  We  came;  out  of  Uelle  Isle  Strait,  our  faces 
burned  as  with  tropical  suns  hy  the  I'iniliiiL;-  L^hire 
from  snow-covered  ice-fields, 

TIk;  next  five  days  wv.w,  a  time  of  stress  and  storm 
for  the  litth;  A'//r.  On  Tuesday  morniuL,^  she  had  to 
lay-to  several  hours,  after  twice  dipping  her  bows  un- 


THE  PARTY  AT  THE  CAIRN. 


der,  and  risini:^  heavily  from  the  weight  of  tj^reen  seas 
forward  and  in  her  waist,  ( )ur  jxjorest  sailors.  howev(!r, 
foi'L^ot  their  misery  at  eleven  p.m.  on  Tuesday.  Jun<! 
p^-fd,  when  W(;  i^ot  our  first  glimpse  of  the  _L;randeur  of 
tlie  Greenland  coast.  Cape  Desolation  was  th(;  dis- 
tant landmark  before  us,  and  next  morninL(  the  mount- 
ains were  in  full  view  all  aloni^-  to  the  east,  Ivitj^tut, 
famous  for  its  cryolite  mines,  was  abreast,  and  before 
noon  we  saw  the  L^reat  marble  wall  of  the.-  I'Tederick- 


ifi 


i' 
j  |1  II 

i  I  : 


r. 


\      I 


5^^ 


Xorthuard  oxer  tliL-  "(ircat  Ice 


sliaa 


l)C.l; 


icier,  one  of  the  lai'-'cst  in  the  uoi 


1.1 


and  to 


the  ri!L,'-|n  of  it.  ami  inland,  the  peak  of  Kan^arsuk, 
4710  fc«t  hiL;li,  rcart.'d  its  shar|),  snow-hlotchcd  apex, 
a  |)('rf('rt  counterpart  of  the  Matterhorn.  'Ihe  \  i\  id 
hrilliance  ol  the  sun  hrou^ht   into  hold  relief  the  rue- 

le  mountains  t\vent\   miles  awav,  on 


itl 


ed  outlmes  o 


f   tl 


whose    sides    was    much    snow,    j)articularl\'    on    their 


northern   aspects. 


As  tl 


le  sun   neari'd   the   hori/on. 


tlu-  lights  and   shadows  and  clear-cut  profiles  ol  tlu; 
mountains   were    inexpressihK-    i^ra 


IKl 


w 


nu 


t  tl 


U! 


I'Iast-( 


ded    C 


ireenland  |)ack-ice  that  had  rounded  Lai)(: 
I'arewell,  and  our  coursi-  was  chan_L;c'd  a  little;  to 
a\()id  it. 

I'^arK'  on  'Idiursdax'  morning-  we  ])assed  Ciotlhaal). 
north  of  which  the  ru^^cd  mountains  drop|)ed  away, 
and  for  a  lon,L;'  distance,  u.itil  South  Isortok  I'jord  is 
reached,  the  coast  is  (-om|)arati\ el)-  low  and  the 
mountains  rounded.  North  of  South  Isortok,  the 
mountains,  capped  with  snow,  streaked  with  i^laci(;rs, 
and  cleft  with  deep  ^■orL;('s,  ai^ain  j^row  wild  and  ruo-- 
^■ed.  All  ^'rida^•  afternoon  we  passed  ^rcat  nr.mlx'rs 
of  icelierL;s,  th(!  spriiiL;'  output  from  the  Disco  l)a)' 
oiaciers,  marvellous  in  endless  \ariet)'  of  form  and 
colour.  LarL;c  llocks  of  eider-ducks  were  seen  and  a 
few  shot. 

I  shall  not  tlwell  upon  tlie  various  phases  of  life  and 
nature  in  Danish  (ireenland,  wliich  have  been  so  often 
and  so  well  dt.-scrihed  by  tra\"ellers.  This  xolume  has 
to  do  with  hitherto  unknown  or  little  understood  as- 
pects of  North  Cireenland,  and  with  experiences,  some 
of  which  are  entirel\-  new  in  arctic  exploration. 

On  Saturda)',  fune  27th,  we  dropped  anchor  in  tlu; 
landdocked  harbour  of  (iotlhaxn,  the  chief  settlement 
in  the  North  Irspectorate  of  Danish  Greenland. 
The  place  had  not  chanL^ed  in  the  five  years  since  I 
had  seen  it.       No  building"  boom  had  reached  God- 


Hrooklvii  to  McCOiiiiiLk  \U\ 


:»/ 


h;i\n  and  the  rcal-cst.iic  niai'kci  wa-.  as  tlai  as  r\rv. 
I  he  families  of  Inspector  .Xnderseii  and  (loxcrnor 
Carsteiis  \v<'re  a  little  lari^cr  than  ti\c  xcars  ai^o.  and 
the  Inspector  and  Mrs.  Andersen  were  the  same 
m'cnial.  hospitaMe.  homelike  couple  as  ever.  We 
learned  that  Hans  jlcndrick.  the  Eskimo  who  had 
accom|)anie(l  so  man\-  expeditions,  and  whose  antohi- 
()_nraph)  has  hecn  piiMislied  in  I''n:.^lish,  liail  died  three 
years  before.    W'itli  Mrs.  I'eary  and  Professor  I  liilprin, 


A    CkUlSEH  or  THE   ARCTIC  WHITE   SQUADRON. 

I  calK'd  on  Insj)ect(»r  Andersen,  and  the  freedom  of 
the  place  was  L;i\-en  to  tiu:  expeditions.  Most  of  us 
started  for  a  field  da\'  on  l!ie  ice-cap  peerim^  down 
from  the  summit  ot  the  island.  It  took  us  four  hours 
of  an  arctic  atternoon  to  reach  the  e-d^c  of  the  ice- 
cap, 2400  feet  al)o\e  the  sea.  Seating"  ourseKcs.  ue 
enjoN'ed  the  scene  around  and  Ixlow  us,  a  scene  that 
can  he  duplicated  nowhere  hut  in  (ireenland. 

Almost  at  our  feet  la\'  the  town  and  harhour  of 
(iodhax'n,  the  houses  mere  spee-ks.  The  AV/r  and  a 
Danish  l^rii;'  in  the;  harhour  looked  like  to\'  hoats.  i)e- 
yond  the  town,  over  Disco  l)a\',  to  the  south-east,  was 


'ill 


V 


i;    • 


I ':  1 


':' 

!. 

, 

1 

(A 


;S 


Northward  oscr  the  "(ircat  Ice" 


lar-dislaiil,  misly  I.L^cdcsiniiKlc  and  the  C  row  n  I'rincc 
Islands.  I'o  the  west,  llic  blue  of  liatVin's  l>a\ clinihcd 
u|)\varil  till  lost  in  golden  splendour  hcncath  the  west- 
ern sun.  ( )\cr  the  icc-ta|)  to  our  left.  I  )isco  l>a\  hore 
upon  its  |)Iac'id  hosoni  hundreds  of  ieelxr^s,  the  out- 
put of  the  uiiL^hlN  |acol)sha\n  (  daeier.  whose  i^leain- 
in;^'  front  was  seen  hreakin^  the  dark  round  o(  the 
mountains  on  ihe  eastern  hori/on.  Uehind  us  was 
the  <'ternal.  unhroken  ice-cap.  smooth  as  marble  and 
with  a  i^cnlly  undulating  surface.  We  huilt  a  cairn 
ei;^ht  leel  hiL;h  in  memor\  of  our  \isii.  depositin:^'  in 
it.  in  a  tin  hov,  the  date,  the  names  of  the  part)',  and 
a  lew  .\meriian  coins.  Ihen  we  returned  to  the  AV/r, 
tired  and  hiniL^rN ,  hut  enthusiastic  o\ cr  our  lirst  ( "irecn- 
land  outint'. 


SANDERSON'S   HOPE. 


The  next  da\-  was  dcvotctl  to  excursions  in  the 
neighbourhood.  In  the  evenini;-,  Professor  Hcili)rin, 
Mr.  iAstriip,  Mr.  Kenealy,  Mrs.  Pcar\-.  and  I  dined 
with  Inspector  Andersen.  After  dinner,  we  looked 
on  for  a  while  at  a  native  dance  in  one  of  the  j^overn- 


\t'> 


.  y 


S  r. 


^•- 


"^t'i^" 


\ 


>r^ 


■iS, 


,    <r:r'^7    «• 


( 


IClMlIC  of 

i:xi'i:i)rii(>N.  is!>i-!»-i, 

Tu  mill  Iruiii 
.M<  ( OlfAJK  K   I!AV 


I'invurtI  Voyuicf  ol' 
KIti',  IMJtl 
lii'tiirii  VeyiiKV  of 
Kite,  IS!fJ 


s. 


N 


so  A^  ?'i 


:«' 


()5 


It      ' 


.^^ 


>!i 


^  H 


w 


'■f 


r  ! 
i    I 


/; 


I 


60 


Northward  over  the  "Great  lee 


nicnt  buildings,  and  tlicn   passed  a  pleasant   cvcninL,f 
at  the  Inspector's  liouse. 


I  h: 


M. 


niornin; 


ul  nitenckul  to  i^ct  under  way  (-'arl\'  on  .Monday 
l)ut  a  sonth-wester,  acconipanieil  l)y  a  dense 


foL;-,  held  lis  in  the  harbour  until  two  i'. m.,  when  we 
steamed  out  with  lla^s  dippin;^"  ami  a  salute  from  the 
ship's  cannon.      Shanin'j"  our  cours(^  north,  we  went 


al()n<>'  th(;  shore  o 


f  1) 


isco 


Isl; 


uicl,  and  thirt\'-six  hours 


hit 


er,  cast  anchor  m  the  harbour  o 


f  I 


|)ernavik. 


1) 


ur- 


iuL""   all    these    hours,  we    stt;ameil    throu'jh   a  sea    ( 


tn 


which   hartlK'  a   rippK,'   coukl   be  seen.      Sa\e   for  the 
icebergs  that    dotted   the  sea  here    and    there,   theri; 
as  no  ice.       1  lu'  Waiiiat,  Xuiisuak  Peninsula,  broad- 


w 
m 


outhed   ( ) 


men 


;ik    biord  with   the  <>-reat    Inland    I 


cc; 


visible    far    up    at   its   head.    Hlack    Hook  of   the   old 
Dutch  navigators,  and  sublime  Sanderson's  Hoj)e,  all 


stood  out  m  then'  grandest,  uiost  brilliant  aspects. 
I  found  it  impossible  to  obtain  from  (Governor  l)e\cr. 


ith 


01    L  perna\ik,  either  a  ka\ak  or  a  natuc  int(;rpreter 


to  l;"()  aloni;'  with   us,  and  so,  after  returning'  his  otti 
cial  call,  accompanied  by  Professor  Ileilprinand  Mrs 


\ 


ear\- 


1 


'Ot    undtu"    wa\',    lea\im>'    l)ehiml 


tl 


le    most 


northerly  town  on  the  o-h)l)t 

^t    tl  ' 


sumuKM'   seas,  past    the    numerous    red-hrown    islands 


'Idle  /vV/r  St 


eamed  oxer 


that 


*'uai 


-d  tl 


"US  arctic  coast. 


Tl 


irou^h  e\'ery  deprt's- 


sion  in  the;  mountains  and  from  ever\-  fjord  head,  the 
marble  surface  of  the  Inland  Ice  looked  down  upon  us, 
the  crexasses  in  the  lower  portions  xisible  at  tiiiK;s 
ked    eve.      Past    man\-   ^iant    mile-stones 

th' 


with    the   na 


1; 


■h 


tl 


)\'  which  the  whalers  measure  thcnr  adxance  in  their 
annual  '.attics  with  the  ice-tloes.  we  steamed  without 
seeiuL!'  a  bit  of  ice,  and  at   six  o'clock  in  the  morni 


n< 


\-l 


xiiown    rendezvous 


reached  the  Duck  Islands,  a  we 
and  lookout  for  the  whalers  while  waiting'  for  the  ict? 
barriers  of  Melville  Bay  to  0})en  for  them.  At  these 
islands  we  stopped   till  afternoon,  la)'inL;'  in  a  sujjply 


Brooklyn  to  McCormick  Bay 


6i 


of  eider-ducks  which  brectl  here  in  thousands.  Un- 
fortunately we  were  too  kite  to  Liet  eLZLTs,  they  heiuLT 
too  far  adyanced  to  be  edible. 


UPERNAVIK. 


Leayino;-  the  islands,  we  shaped  our  course  direct  for 
Cape  York,  with  the  most  sanguine  expectation  of 
makino-  a  speedy  passa_L,re  across  MeKille  Bay,  and  per- 
haps r(;achino-  \Vhale  Sound  on  the  4th  of  July,  the  day 
on  which  famous  old  Ikiffin  cast  anchor  in  the  Sound 
oyer  27s  \'ears  ai-o.  ( )ur  expectations,  howeyer,  wvvc 
doomed  to  speetly  disappointment.  Sixt(;('n  miles 
north  of  the  Duck  Islands,  we  met  the  dreaded  Mel- 
yille-Hay  i)ack,  and  after  runiiin^-  alon^-  its  chI^c  close 
to  the  Deyil's  Thumb,  and  then  back  a^ain  to  the 
westward,  in  search  of  a  l^-cmxI  opcniiiL;-,  the  /\//r,  at 
7:30  i'.M.,  on  July  2d.  stuck  her  sturdy  little  nose;  into 
the  i)ack  and  be^an  a  loni^-  strui^'i^le. 


^1    N 
I' 

r 


i: 


I 


.'I 


^ 


I 


If 


i 


m 


62  Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

The  Greenland  ice-cap,  which  we  could  discern  above 
the  coast  mountains,  seemed  verv  rouirh  antl  broken 
by  crevasses.  I  had  no  doubt,  howe .  er,  that  farther 
inland  it  off(;red  tlu;  favourable  conditions  for  sledi^ing- 
that    I   expected   to   find   on  the    inner  ice  of    North 


THE    PARTY    AT   THE   DUCK    ISLANDS. 

Greenland.  Baffled  by  the  ice  of  Melville  Ray,  I 
encountered  at  the  outset  of  my  arctic  work  one  of 
the  common  vicissitudes  of  polar  exploration  in  ships  ; 
while  not  manv  miles  east  of  us  was  the  sj;"reat  interior 


N, 


Brooklyn  to  McCorniick  Bay  63 

ice-plateau,  offerin*^  an  imperial  highway  to  the  far 
North.  The  ice  of  the  pack,  where  we  first  encount- 
ered it,  was  only  six  to  hft(;en  inches  thick,  antl  rotten. 
The  ice-pans,  as  sailors  call  very  small  and  somewhat 
rounded  tloes,  averaged  perhaps  twenty-five  feet  across, 
and  numerous  iceherirs  were  scattered  throuLfh  the 
pack.  As  we  i^ot  farther  into  the  pack,  some  of  the 
pans  were  six  or  seven  feet  thick. 

We  manaired  to  keeij  under  wav  bv  fits  and  starts 
into  the  nii(ht  of  July  4th,  hut  the  next  morning-  the 
ice  tig'htened,  and  after  that  we  drifted,  utterly  help- 
less in  its  i^rip,  for  one  lonij^  week. 

The  '*  r^ourth  "  was  ushered  in  by  firing,''  the  ship's 
cannon,  and  the  flails  that  had  l)een  run  up  were  dipped 
and  iji^reeted  wit;i  a  volley  of  small-arms.  We  joined  in 
a  toast  to  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  antl  the  exjjeditions 
posed  for  their  picture  on  the  ice,  with  the  Kite  as  a 
backij^round.  At  dinner  we  had  a  special  spread  of 
roast  eider-duck,  plum-duff,  and  Melville-Bay  Roman 
punch,  consistins^  of  snow,  milk,  rum.  lime-juice,  and 
suoar.  Our  celebration  of  the  national  holidav  was 
rejj^arded  as  a  threat  success,  w'di  the  exception  of  the 
punch,  the  rum  in  this  beini^'  none  of  the  best,  and  a 
little  too  much  in  evidence. 

The  crow's-nest  was  sent  up  soon  after  we  entc^red 
the  ice,  and  the  chief  business  of  life  for  da)s  was 
scanning":  the  ice-fields  from  thisloftv  point  of  vantage 
for  some  sign  of  a  change.  The  white,  unrelieved  ex- 
panse of  the  pack  soon  ceased  to  be  a  novelty,  and 
became  very  monotonous,  while  snow  and  foL;-  con- 
tributed their  part  to  the  unpleasant  situauon. 

On  the  ninth  I  secured  an  observation  which  L^^ave 
our  position  as  74°  51'  N.  Lat,  and  an  appioximate 
loncritude  of  60°  W. 

Pools  were  formin;^  on  the  surface  of  th<  Hoes 
and  the  ice  was  meltini^^  rapidly  and  growino;  more 


1;    ' 


.-.  'I 


R     J 


v- 


'"  ff'^' 


U 


r  f ' 


W'^ 


:m 


j   : 


64 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


^'11 


rotten.  The  temperature  avera<j^ed  31°  l\,  the  lowest 
hein_L(  2<S°  V.  Often  the  masts,  spars,  and  riiJi'L^inL!;-  were 
covered  to  windward  with  a  thick  coatinu^  of  hoar- 
frost, ^nvinu;  a  beautiful  but  wintry  aspect. 


BESET  IN  THE    MELVILLE-BAY    PACK. 

Our  imprisonment  Lj;ave  everyone  a  chance  to  stretch 
himself  upon  the  floes,  but  after  a  time  some  of  the 
party  bei^an  to  have  forebodino^s  of  spendinj^  a  win- 
ter in  the  Melville-Bay  pack,  not  an  allurintr  pros- 
p(.;ct,  particularly  as  the  commissary  tlepartment  had 
not  been  htted  out  with  that  continL,^ency  in  view. 


Brooklyn  to  McCormick  Bay 


6:; 


At  five  I'.M.  on  Sciturda)-,  July  i  i  th,  without  any  ap- 
parent reason,  the  ice  slackened,  steam  was  hurriedly 
i^otten  up,  and  tin;  Kite  fori^ed  ah<'ad  and  ])e_i^an  a 
slow,  laborious  run  that  continued  until  about  mid- 
ni'dit  Sunday. 

Periods  of  raniniinL;  th(;  ice  alternated  with  intervals 
of  waiting-,  and  the  total  advance  for  the  day  was 
small. 

Al)()ut  ei^'ht  o'clock  on  Saturday-  exenini;^,  Jul)'  i  itli, 
the  Kite  beinsj^  then  en^aj^ed  in  rammin^j'  a  ijassa^t; 
throui^h  some  comparatively  heavy  ice,  I  stepped  to 
the  stern  rail  as  she  was  backintj^  for  another  l)low,  to 
watch  her  Ijehaviour.  Just  as  I  reached  the  rail  a  lar^^e 
cake  of  ice  struck  th(;  rudder,  jammino-  it  hard  over, 
and  tearing"  the  wheel  from  the  hands  of  tlu;  two  men 
on  duty.  One  of  them  was  thrown  clear  over  the 
wheel  and  across  the  deck.  The  next  instant  the  iron 
tiller  had  cauj^ht  my  \<i'g  between  it  and  the  house  antl 
snapped  both  bones  just  above  the  ankle.  I  spoke 
to  the  men  at  the  wheel,  asking"  them  to  send  Drs. 
Sharp  and  Cook  to  me,  and  the  next  instant  they  and 
Gibson  were  carryinjj^  me  to  the  cabin,  where  I  was 
stretched  out  on  the  table.  Mylei^was  set  and  I  was 
stowed  on  a  lont^  seat  across  the  head  of  the  cabin, 
where  I  was  destined  to  remain  till  I  was  taken  ashore 
at  our  winter  camp.  Thanks  to  the  professional 
skill  of  my  surLi^^eon,  Dr.  Cook,  and  the  unA-earying 
and  thoui^htful  care  of  Mrs.  Peary,  my  cojiiplete  re- 
covery was  rapidly  attained. 

Before  this  accident  occurred,  I  had  improved  the 
days  that  we  were  fast  in  the  ice,  to  cut  and  ht  all  the 
frames  of  our  house,  so  that,  when  we  reached  our 
destination,  the  work  of  puttini;;^  up  the  structure  was 
expeditioi  sly  performed. 

Annoyiu}^  as  was  the  delay  from  the  ice,  my  now 
crippled  condition  made  it  doubly   irksome.      Nearly 


l\ 


i-.   ' 


\  ; 

'  i 

I'm 

i;  t 


,     If 


I      ;     II  tl 


66 


Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice 


■  )i 


m 


n\ 


all  the  week  f<)ll()\vin!_,f^  was  a  continual  round  of  ram- 
ming th<'  ice  and  waiting-  for  oi)i)()rtunitics  to  make  a 
little  headway.  It  was  a  reddetter  occasion  wlien 
one  eveniuL;-.  after  we  had  heeii  tl^htin^-  the  (loes  for 
nearl\-  a  fortnii^lu.  someone  announced  that  a  hear 
was  approaching'  th(,'  A'i/r.  In  a  moment  everNonc 
except  myself  was  on  deck,  crouchini;- hehind  the  rail, 
ritle  in  hand,  awaitino-  the  bear's  approach. 


MELVILLE    BAY,    JULY   4,    1891. 


In  a  few  minutes  I  heard  a  protracted  fusilade,  and  a 
little  later  was  informed  that  the  bear  had  been  killed. 

1  he  animal  ir^easuretl  seven  teet  one  inch,  and  his 
'  -,timated  weii^dit  was  six  hundred  pounds.      The  two 


f;: 


Brooklyn  to  McCorniick  luiy 


<^7 


hind  (juartcrs,  drcssctl,  \v(iL;lu(l  ahoiil  iwo  luindrctl 
j)Ounds.  Through  tlu,-  carelessness  of  a  sailor,  l)olh 
hind  ([uarters  were  losl  oxcrhoard  in  iioistini;  iheni  in 
over  the  rail. 

Not  very  Ion;/  after,  a  famih'  party,  consistin^r  of 
an  old  hear  and  two  cui)S,  were  sii^hted  and  a  nuniher 
of  mtMi  jumped  on  the  ice  in  pursuit,  while  the  /\//r 
starteil  in  another  direction  in  an  attenijjt  to  head 
them  off.       The  bears  were  too  wary,  iiowever,  and, 


POLAR   BEAR. 


raioidly  "L;treatin<'',  were  soon  out  of  si^d-t.  The 
rumour  was  atloat  that  one  gentleman  in  his  eai^^erness 
went  over  the  side  of  the  vessel  and  started  in  pursuit 
without  his  riHe,  and,  returninj^  from  the  chase,  had  to 
be  hoisted  on  board. 

We   saw  birds   in   millions,   and  eider-ducks,   ivory 
(Tulls,  and  seals  were  amoni^  the  game  whose  caj^ture 


fi 


1 


i 

f    . 
'f"' 


^ 

. 

i 

I      I 


f 


I 


68 


Northward  over  the  "Cjrcat  Ice" 


now  and  then  varied  the  monolony  of  life  in  the 
ice-pack. 

On  the  evenini^  of  tlu;  i6th,  the  A'i/i'  was  nipped 
hi^tween  two  h'\^^  lloes,  antl  all  other  efforts  to  free  her 
failinL,'",  holes  were  drilled  in  the  ice,  in  which  bottles 
of  L^unpowder  wen*  |)lace(l.  The)'  were  simultane- 
ously exi)loded,  blowing'  out  a  lnv^c.  j)iece  of  ic(!,  antl 
the  ship,  beini^"  i)ut  astern,  was  soon  relie\c;d  from  her 
danj^erous  situation.  At  midnight  of  the  i  ~th,  the 
ice  opened  uj)  and  the  A'/'/c  was  able  to  steam  for 
ninetei;n  hours,  with  such  exct:llent  results  that  when 
we  were  stalled  ai^^ain  Cape  York  was  in  siij^ht. 

Monday  mornintj^,  July  21st,  land  was  only  six  or 
eii^ht  miles  away  and  the  coast  was  in  sii^dit  from 
Caj)e  York  to  Conical  Rock.  On  the  23d,  just  three 
weeks  from  the  time  we  enter(;d  the  ice,  the  A'//r 
was  once  more  free  of  it  and  fairly  in  the  north  water 
off  Conical  Rock.  She  seemed  as  dtHiL^hted  as  we  at 
rei^aininL^  her  freedom,  and  bowled  merrily  alon^r  north- 
ward in  ice-free  water  jjast  Petowik  (ilacier,  Wolsten- 
holm  Island  and  vSound,  then  rounded  Cape  Parry 
into  Whale  Sound. 

I  had  hoped  to  enter  this  inlet  and  secure  a  winter 
canij)  on  the  north  shore  of  Inulefield  Gulf.  At 
Harden  Bay,  on  the  south  side  of  Whale  Sound,  we 
stopped  at  a  settlement  of  Arctic  Hi^^hlanders,  con- 
taining]^ a  population  of  seven  adults  and  five  children. 
W^e  obtained  here  some  specimens  of  native  handi- 
work and  then  steamed  on  to  Herbert  Island.  We 
found  no  natives  there,  and  at  once  shajjed  our  course 
up  Whale  Sound  to  reach  the  proposed  site  of  my 
house  near  Cape  Tyrconnell  on  the  north  shore  of 
Intrlefield  Gulf.  The  ice,  however,  extended  unbrok- 
enly  from  the  east  end  of  Herbert  hland,  south-east 
to  Cape  Powlet.  and  our  progress  wa^  soon  stopped. 
Turninor  about,  the  KZ/c  steamed  up  betwcien   North- 


Brookl\n  to  McCormick  Hay 


unihcrlancl  Island  and  IlcrlxTt  Is- 
lanil  and  attempted  to  L^ct  eastward 
into  In^lefield  (iulf  throui^h  Mur- 
chison  Sound.  Ai^ain  we  were 
defeated  l)y  the  iinl)r()ken  ice,  for 
the  winter  id',  had  not  yet  come  out. 
So  the'  A'//('  was  run  into  the  in- 
let a  little  farther  west,  known  as 
IMcCormick  I)a\',  and  here  m\'  party 
had  its  heacUpiarters  for  the  follow- 
in  lj-  year. 

The  site  finally  selected  for  the 
house  was  bright  with  tlowers,  and 
there  were  numerous  traces  of  rein- 
dt:er,  f()X(;s,  and  hares.  Seals  and 
walrus  w(.'re  abundant  in  tlu-  wa- 
ters of  the  ba\',  and  traces  of  na- 
tives  were  more  numerous  than  I 
had  anticipated.  Although  we  had 
found  but  one  inhabited  village, 
others  we  visited  W(,'re  evidently  only 
temporarily  deserted  ;  and  wlu;r- 
ever  we  made  a  landinLr  we  found 
baited  fox-traps  and  cache's  of  meat 
and  blubber.  I  had  therefore  the 
earliest  assurances  that  my  expedi- 
tion would  not  suffer  for  lack  of  an 
abundance  of  fresh  meat. 


-uytOA    '■rf-W> 


69 


a. 
a 

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0) 


u 
o 

Oi 

< 
u 

2 
O 
u 

O 
H 

m 

Di 
O 
>• 

u 
a. 
< 
(J 

o 

Oi 
Ct. 

H 
M 
< 

o 

O 

b. 
O 

<( 

< 
on. 
o 
z 

< 

a, 


I  • 


ill! 


!N 


I    '       I 


n 


■  t 

i 


.■;l    • 
■■  I    ■ 

■  1^  :i 


!1 


i\ 


!.    ! 


I    , 


in  ■•'i;''' 


I 


i^y 


h 


CHAPTliR    II. 


^li 

i    M 

Jl 

iH 

I'KKI'ARINH;    our    XOUril-C.UKKNLAXl)    IIOMK. 

The  Work  hefork  is — Simmkk  Scknk  on  an  Arctic  Shore — SEi.EcriNc 
THE  Site  eor  ouk  lIursK. — Lamum;    itie  Stores — Ai.i.  mv  Voim;   Mkn 

TlRN  CaKI'ENIKKS — Dl.SCKIITloN  OK  IHE  Hol'SE — AN  Alii  )I)E  I  II A  T  I!aI)E 
DkKIANCK   to    KlNd    WlMKK — (  li  )ol)-i;YE    To     THK     A'///-: — I.oVIT.Y     AliUST 

Wkaiiiek — Millions  of  Hiuds  and  MANiroi.D  Phases  oe  Animal  Lile 
—We  Name  our  Home  Red  Ci  iee  IIoise— Red-Letter  Days — Fiust 
Eskimo    (U'ests — Ikwa    and    his    Interesting    Family — Kili.ini;    I  )eer 

AND    WaLKIS — Kec  iNNOITKINO     THE    INLAND    ICK. 


'     A    I  S     J 


^ 


71 


I 


'li 


D 
< 


>i     i, 


w 

i-    ♦   V 


CIlAl'lllR   11. 


I'RI  i'.\i;i\(;  oiK    \(ikiii-(;kKr.\i,A\i>    iio.mk 


M 


N'  struL^Lilc  with  the 
M.ivi'llc-I'.ay  ic-c 
hail  hccii  more  sc- 
\(:rc  than  that  of  most  of 
my  predecessors  in  North 
(in-enhiiid  e.\|)loration. 
(hie  |)artl\-  to  th*-  com- 
parativel)-  small  size  of 
m\'  shij).  partK  to  the 
earl)'  date  at  wliirh  1  at- 
tacked it. 
The  three  \vet;ks'  lont;- 
conllict  with  the  lloe  ice  had  cost  me  just  that  amount 
of  time  which  1  had  hojxxl  to  cU;vote  to  the  larL;(; 
amount  of  work  preliminary  to  carrNinsj'  out  the 
main  j)ur|)oses  of  m\-  (  xpedition.  Ahout  three 
months,  howtjver,  \-et  remained  to  us  for  outdoor 
work,  before  settlini;"  down  to  th(!  comparatixe  in- 
activity of   the  lonij'  winter  niL^ht. 

'Vhv.  first  thin^"  to  do.  of  course,  was  to  select  a 
suitable  site  for  our  camp,  put  up  tlu;  buildini;',  and 
settle  my  arctic  househokl  to  riL^hts  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. TIkmi,  unless  th.e  li^skimos  cduw.  to  my  head- 
([uarters.  it  was  essential  to  communicate  with  them. 
I  had  reason  to  believe  that  one  or  more  of  their 
hunters  would  be  of  ijreat  advanlaL''*'  to   us.      More- 


-/   .(       'if 


i-  I 


'r' 


i  i'' 


I 


I 

I 


i  < 


Vli 


74  Northward  over  the  "  C^reat  Ice" 

over,  I  wanted  thciii  liviiiLr  near  us.  I  wished  to  be- 
come well  accjuainted  with  these  most  isolated  and 
northerly  of  all  jx^oples,  and.  for  purposes  of  studyini^ 
this  interestinL;  trilx,'.  I  ho|)ed  to  induce  not  a  few  of 
them  to  spentl  the  winter  months  at  or  near  our  camj). 


■ 

■ 

■pi 

P^^" 

■• 

* 

•                   •                               ' 

I' 

4 

"^ 

y    ■ 

^            1  * 

■    ■ri' ■\-^.  '-l  -^'   -.,...,.                    ,      ,..^^ 

*  * 

• 

" 

« 

>• 

V 

■  - 

• 

HE    ~                                                                            '  1 

SITE  OF  RED  CLIFF  HOUSE. 

On  tlic  South  S]iore  of  McCoiniiL-k  llav. 


Then  the  next  twelve  weeks  would  l)e  a  busy  time 
for  my  hunters,  for  we  liad  the  winter  supph'  of  fresh 
meat,  and  also  the  deer-  and  sealskins  needed  for  a 
part  of  m\'  arctic  outfit,  to  procure.  1  hoped,  too,  that 
we  should  fmd  some  of  the  nati\e  women  useful  in 
sewini^  our  skin  o^arments.  I  wished  also,  if  possil)le, 
to  send  a  sledge  party  on  the  Inland  Ice  across 
Prudhoe  Land  to  the  north,  to  establish  one  or  more 
caches  of  supj)lies  for  the'  use  of  the  party  to  the  north 
coast  in  the  foUowin;^  sprins^.  Handicapi)ed  as  my 
little    party   was  by   my  temporar)-   disability   for  all 


\\ 


.f'ij 


fi 


Preparing  Our  North-Greenland  Home 


/D 


( 


physical  activity,  I  fc^lt  that  th',-  duties  before  us  would 
demand  the  best  e-nergy  of  all. 

The  eaLj'er  desire  to  ij^et  about  our  work  possessed 
my  mind  as  I  lay  helpless  in  the  cabin  ;  but  my  party 
was  prepared  to  enjo)-  with  the  keenest  zest  the  beau- 
tiful arctic  sum- 
mer day  and  the 
jj^lorious  scene  as 
we  steamed  into 
McCormick  Hay. 
The  sun  was  just 
rising-  from  the 
lowest  part  of  its 
nearly  horizontal 
course  alx)ve  the 
ice-capped  cliffs 
that  line;  the  north 
shore  of  the  inlet. 
All  was  warmth 
and  light  and  ex- 
ul)erant  life.  A 
deer  o  r  t  w  o 
browsetl  leisureK' 
on  the  slopes,  cov- 
ered with  moss 
and  llowers,  that 
stretched  alone 
the  south  shore  between  the  water's  edge;  antl 
the  dark  brown  antl  red-brown  cliffs  that  frame 
the  inlet  and  uphold  the;  Inland  Ice.  Down  th(: 
valleys,  worn  by  wat(;r  out  of  tlu;  sandstone  and  ba- 
saltic walls  that  bound  the  bax',  l(;ai)ed  brooks  look- 
ing in  the  distance  like;  siKcr  ril)l)ons.  I'docks  of 
snow-buntings  twittered  and  chirped,  and  millions  of 
little  auks  kept  the  air  alive  with  (juerulous  cries  and 
the  rapid  beat  of  their  whirring  wings.       The  ice  still 


THE   RED    CLIFFS. 


' 


J 


^J^^ 


'  ( 


%  I 


d 


f 


ll 


(    f 


76 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


filled  the  L^rcatcr  portion  of  the  bay.  A  broad  river 
of  i^leaniioL!;'  water  ran  close  to  the  shore.  Every 
i^listeninLj^  iceberg-  floated  in  an  open  lake  in  which 
sported  seals,  narwhals,  and  schools  of  white  whales, 
and  narrow  lanes  of  water  ran  in  every  dire:tion 
through  ihv.  rottcin  ice,  cutting-  it  into  ij^reat  Hoes 
which  lloated  slowly  back  and  forth  with  the  tide. 


ife^n^, .  mSl%^ 

1 

i 
t 

-  "TXMIk 

k   ^          .^  .^^i^^^^^^^H 

Wi,     '•1»    'si*,*-- 

• 

■•:       -'^a     \i'-. 

^^::'^\ 

>■%■•  '^3;i,-- 

J**     . . 

i^^^kflP^^^B^^P* 

0^  ■ 

•-* 

RED   CLIFF    HOUSE. 


The  bay  was  found  to  be  about  nine  miles  wide  at 
its  mouth  and  some  fifteen  miles  lomr.  Like  most 
of  this  coast  line,  it  was  incorrectly  charted.  Its 
shores,  according-  to  the  chart,  mi^ht  be  called  the 
east  and  west,  while,  in  fact,  they  are  more  nearly  the 
north  and  south  boundaries  of  the  bay.  It  narrows 
verv  j^radually  towards  its  head,  where  it  is  about  four 
miles  wide.  At  the  head  of  the  bay  a  lar^'e  glacier 
was  i)lainly  seen,  and  from  it  came  iceberi^s  that  were 
sprinkled  over  the  surface  of  the  inlet. 


i 


f 


Preparing  Our  Xorth-C Greenland  Home 


/  / 


I  imnicdiatclv  sent  in\-  party  ashore,  first  on  the 
south  and  then  on  the  north  side  of  the  bay,  to  recon- 
noitre for  a  site  for  the  house.  It  was  not  an  entirely 
easy  matter  to  select  a  suitable  location,  because  many 
things  wen;  to  be  con- 
sidered, and  he  upon 
w  h  o  m  th(;  decision 
rested  was  obliLi^ed  to 
see  witii  the  eyes  of 
others.  The  house 
must  not  be  too  far 
from  the  shore,  it 
must  be  where  no 
landslide  or  falling' 
rocks  from  the  cliffs 
could  crush  it,  where 
the  tornMits  from  the 
meltinL;'  snow  of  earh' 
s  u  m  m  e  r  could  not 
sweep  it  away,  and  yet 
it  should  l)e  sheltered 
from  the  furious  blasts 
of  winter,  and  be  so 
placed  as  to  <j!;iil  all  the 
sunlii^dit   possible. 

The  ice  made  it 
im])racticable  to  con- 
sider the  northern 
shore,  thouL;h  I  should 
h  a  \'  e  preferred  to 
winter  on  that  sid':  of 
the  bay  as  offering,''  bet- 
ter j)rotection  from 
northerly  wintls.  Mrs. 
Peary  accompanied  the  exploring'  party,  andheri'-ood 
judgment  fmally  cast  the  deciding'  \'ote  for  the  location. 


LOW    TIDE. 

Mrs,  IV-.irv  Lciniii";  aijainst  ti  Bldck  of  Ice 
Stranded  liv  tla-  Kuredim:  'I'ide. 


(I 


1:     l^i 


f  ^ 


J) 


7« 


Northward  over  the  "Circat  Ice" 


'?i 


She  sclc'CtL'tl  a  litLlc  knoll  on  th(;  south  shore,  hctwecn 
two  brooks,  about  on(;  luintlrcd  fci-t  from  the  waters 
of  the  ha)'.  1  1h;  soft  eartli  of  this  little  i^rass-  ami 
llower-coveretl  ('niinencc:  n'axc  an  opportunitx'  to  set 
tile  house  k'vel  with  \-er\-  littU;  clii^L;'in^-.  while  tin; 
descent  in  evcM"y  direction  ensurctd  dr)iu;ss,  and  the 
siiiL^ht  elevation  ^axe  a  jj^ood  outlook  o\t;r  the  hay. 
Tlu:  only  objection  to  the  location  was  that  the  {lifls 
to  th(;  south  would  shut  off  the  sun  early  in  sprini;" 
and  late  in  autumn,  hut  this  could  not  In:  helped. 

Sunday,  Jul\'  26th,  was  beautifully  clear  and  warm. 
Karly  in  the  morniuL^  tlut  men  of  m\-  i)art\-  went  ashore 
with  i)ickaxes,  sIkacIs,  and  lumber,  and  be^an  work 
on  the  excavation  for  the  foundation  ol  the  house.  .\ 
b)Ol  l)el()W  the  surhice  the  ground  was  found  to  be 
tro/en.  A  da\'  suHiced  tor  this  work.  iheri  came 
the  putting'  up  of  the  frame,  which,  haxiuL;"  been  cut 
and  fitted  in  MelvilU;  V)d\ \  had  onl\-  to  be  nailed  to- 
gether and  erected. 

'The  construction  of  m\-  house  had  becMi  the  subject 
of  much  study.  I  wished  to  attain  a  minimum  ^)( 
weight  ;md  size:  with  i  mjiximum  of  strength,  warmth, 
and  comfort. 

The  interior  dimensions  of  the  house  were  to  be 
tw.-nty-one  feet  in  length,  twehc  feet  in  width,  and 
eii^ht  feet  in  height  from  lloor  to  ceiling. 

Though  its  construction  was  commenced  cUion  and 
pushed  with  i^reat  ener^N'  till  it  was  entirel\-  enclosed. 
it  was  not  comj)letetl  until  sex'eral  weeks  later,  work 
uj)()n  it  bein^"  done;  from  time  to  time  in  the  interims 
between  other  more  immecliatel)'  pressing"  work. 

As  hnallv  completed,  the  house  consisted  of  an  iriner 
and  an  outer  shell.  sej)arated  b}'  an  air-si)ace,  formed 
by  the  frames  of  the  house  and  var\ini;"  from  ten 
inches  at  the  sides  to  o\-er  three  feet  in  the  centre  of 
the  roof. 


Ml. 


X     >• 


5. 


Prcpariiv^-  Our  Xorth-Cjrccnland  Home     79 

On  the  outsitlc  of  thcs(;  frames  w.is  attaclictl  the 
out(;r  air-tii^ht  shell,  composed  of  a  shc^athini^-  of  closely 
fittinu;-  hoards  and  two  thicknesses  of  tarred  paper. 
To  the  inside  of  th(!se  frames  was  fastt^ned  the  inner 
shell,  composcnl  of  thick  trunk  hoards,  and  made  air- 
tight hy  jxistini!^  all  the  joint  •  with  heav\'  hrown  pai)er. 
This  inner  shell  was  lined  throughout  with  heavy  red 
Indian  blankets. 


THE    DAYS    WERE    VERY    LONG." 


This  macU;  the  interior  as  warm  <'ind  coscy  in  appear- 
ance as  could  be  desired,  ampl)'  comfortable  for  sum- 
mer and  early-fall  weather.  it  was  still,  however,  not 
in  a  condition  Lo  ijr(Hect  us  from  the  indescribable 
fury  of  the  storms  of  the  arctic  winter  ni'>lu,  and 
temperatures  of  half  a  hundnnl  de^'rees  below  zero. 

To  rentier  it  impr<,;^'nal)U;  to  these,  a  wall  was  built 
(.Mitirely  around  the  house,  about  four  feet  distant 
from  it. 

dd"K.'  foundation  of  this  wall  was  stones,  turf.  ('m|)ty 
barrels;  its  upper  portion   built  of  the  wooden  boxes 


11 


fl 


i.  , 


'   ,^  1 


I.       il 


^! 


I    ; 


8o 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


,■  t 


containiiiL;-  in\-  tinned  supplies,  jjiled  in  rcj^ular  courses 
like  blocks  of  stone. 

The  boxes  liad  intentionally  been  made  of  the  same 
width  and  tKq)th,  though 
of  xaryiuL,^  lenL,fths,  to  tit 
them  tor  this  use 

This    corridor    was 
roof.d   with   can\as,   ex- 
tendiiiL;-  from  the  sitle  of 
th:-    house   to   the   lop  of 
the  wall,  and  later,  when 
the  snow  came,  it.  ;:s  well 
as  the  roof  of  the  house 
itself,  was  coV':  red  in  with 
snow  and  the  outside  of 
the    walls 
thickly 
banked 
with     the 
same    ma- 
t(M-ial.     P)y 
this     a  r - 
ran^ement 
of  the  box- 
es I  avoid- 
ed the  ne- 
cessity   of 
usiiiL;-    any 
portion  of 
th(?    house 

for  storai^e  ;  th(,'  contents  of  every  box  was  immediateh' 
anil  conveniently  accessible,  as  if  on  the  shelves  of  a 
Clipboard,  anil  the  rampart  thus  formed  protected  the 
house  in  a  surprising-  decree  from  thie  stress  of  the 
winter's  cold. 

While  m\"  part)-  was  :it  work  on  tlve  house,  the  ship'.s 


HENSON  WITH  RAVEN  AND  BLUE  FOX. 


■^Vi\ 


Prcpariiv^ Our  \()rth-(  ircciikiiul  Home     Si 


crew  was  l)iis\-  hrin^inL;-  ott  in\'  stores  and  coal.  This 
task  tillcxl  four  (la\s  with  hard  work.  The  chMftiiii^ 
lines  made  it  iinpossihle  for  the  Kile  to  anchor,  and 
she  sttianied  slowl\-  iij)  and  down  the  shore,  while  the 
stores  and  materials  were  landed  in  my  whale-boats. 


\ 


li 


'r. 


X 

ft 

L 

K 

v^  -. : 

^ 

1 

-iV-    ■• 

1 

r 

'"'  f 

-.-*x4*^tK't^.^     _ 

^  ^ 

1 

'liiiiirift^ 

J 

'           m".' 

^  J" 

iP^|;|P^- 

m 

#;"'*■■     M^''  \, 

/■r^\^:|gl 

"C'       .jQ 

Jf  -  ^ 

IS^ 

^?>a^^l  F*'^ 

■'      «^fc 

#^-'      ^^ 

'^■^^■'^''WK^- 

r/^' 

'W          •^■ 

^^■(^     I-^^^HK-'-'; 

■( 

-                     A^\ 

'    ''      '  ■             ,:■ 

J|J|«^P^ 

> 

\\ 

I    i 


VICTIM    AND    VICTORS. 


On  Monday  afternoon.  Jul\-  27th,  I  was  taken 
ashore.  strai)i)ed  to  a  ]'lank,  and  stowed  in  m\'  little 
tent,  which  had  keen  put  up  just  hack  of  the  r.ouse, 
where  I  could  supervise  the  work.  M\-  men  kept  at 
their  task,  in  whicli  the\-  wer^-  kindU'  assisted  1)\-  Mr. 
Ashhurst  of  Professor  Pleilprin's  party,  till  nearl\-  mid- 


f 


It 


i  k 


8i' 


Northwartl  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 


•II, 


111 

rl 


>  i 


V'  J' 


niL,^ht,  wluMi  th(,-  frames  were:  all  up.  'Ihcn  they  went 
hack  to  the  A'//i\  lca\inL^  Mrs.  !^•ar\■  and  m\self  in  the 
tent.  A  school  of  \vhit(!  whales  came  putfinL;  and 
irruntinL^'  close  to  the  beach  in  front  of  the  tent,  hut 
tlu^y  and  snow-huntini^^s  wen^  our  onl\'  visitors. 

(  )ur  camp  was  two  and  one  third  miles  a  little 
north  of  east  alon^^  the  heach  from  Cape  Cleveland, 
the  seaward  terminus  of  the  southern  shore  of  the 
hay.  ( )ur  position  was  jj"  40  \.  Lat.  and  70" 
40  W  .  I^oul^'.  We  were  oxer  thirt\'  mile-N  north  of 
the  latitude  in  which  the  unfortunate  ycainicftc  fountl- 
<.Ted.  Within  a  de_nrc:e  of  latitude  north  of  us  had 
l)een  t-nacted  much  of  tht;  histor\-  of  the  Smith  .Sound 
c!.\i)editions.  Two  or  thre(;  days  1)\-  hoat  or  sled^X', 
acc()rdin<4-  to  the  season,  would  take  "^  to  the  winter 
camp  of  Kane,  1  la\'(,'s,  and  !)udilinL;lon,  or  to  hleak 
Cape  Sabine,  where  most  ol  (ireely's  pa:'t\'  j)erished. 
I'rom  our  beach  \\v.  could  look  out  upon  islands 
whose  names  had  been  matle  famous  in  tlu;  annals 
of  exploration.  lust  past  the  wstern  vW(\  of  Xorth- 
umbe-rland  Island,  rose  sharp  an!  clear  in  pleasant 
wtTither  the  cliffs  of  "  1  lakluyt'^^^  Isle,"  which  had  shel- 
tered br;i\('  I^)afrin  in  his  tiny  ship  rdmost  three  cen- 
turies beiort.'. 

We  were  to  sj)end  the  winter  ni^ht  withiii  740 
^'X^O'^rapriical  miles  of  the  Xorlh   Pole. 

Mrs.  Peary  and  I  said  ^ocxbbyc,-  to  our  fri(Mids  of 
the  West-(ireenland  I{xj)edition  and  the  Kite  on  the 
e\-enins4'  of  |ul\-  2()th,  for  it  was  ex[)ect(Hl  th.at  the  Kite 
would  sail  during-  the  ni^ht  or  earl\-  n.  xt  morning'. 
M\'  party  remained  on  the  Kite  writing  letters  to  be 
sent  home.  All  ni<;ht  tlu'  wind  antl  rain  beat  in  htful 
Ljusts  ui)on  our  little  white  tent  on  the  desolate  Cirecm- 
land  shore.  Towards  morning-  wc;  fell  asleep,  but  I 
was  awakenecl  about  ^\\o  o'clock  bv  the  Kites  whistle. 
I  heard  chcerini^,  the  slow  I)eat  of  the  Kites  propjl- 


Prc{)arin;^'  Our  Xorth-(  irccnland  Home     S3 

Il'I'.  and  then  the  soiiiul  of  oars  in  ilic  rowlocks.  M\- 
party  were  comiiiL;-  ashore  and  the  Kite  was  nioxin^ 
awa\'  from  us  to  suniu'  southern  huids.  Mrs.  I'eai'v. 
tired  with  her  loni;-  watchini;',  was  fast  asleej)  and  I 
had    not  the   heart   to   wake  her,   particuhirly   as   the 


WEIGHING    UP   A    WALRUS. 

siolit  of  the  Httle  craft  that  had  been  her  home  so  lon^-, 
xanishiuL;-  anions;  the  icebergs,  was  not  hkel\-  to  he 
cheering'. 

The  whale-boat  soon  reached  the  beach,  and  almost 
immediately  I  heard  the  livel\-  tattoo  of  hammers  upon 
the  rafters  and  sides  of  our  )et  roolless  home.      1  knew 


\ 


!:S, 


"W.Tiai  i^  .••■ffmwra 


84 


Nortlnvaid  over  the  "(/i-cat  Ice" 


M 


I'   !^ 


tlic  nvrry  racket  iiij.skcd  more.'  than  one  siohci-  thought 
that  followed  flu;  Kite.  Ihc  boys  lai)oure(l  earnestly 
and  well,  hnt  the  work  was  nev;  to  Lhein  all,  and  the 
storm)'  weather  interferetl  serunisly,  so  dial  two  nii^hts 
more  wenr  |)assed  in  the  tent,  tho;iL;h  each  ni'Liht  we 
thouL-ht  it  would  he  carri  -d  awa\'  hodiK'  1)\-  the  furi- 
ous  scjualls  that  fell  upon  it  from  tlie  cliffs.  lucrN' 
tlay  th(.'  hoys  pilc;d  more  and  m<M-e  stones  upon  it  and 
attached  more  jniy  roj)es. 

I'inally  the  roof,  lloor,  and  sid(;s  were  completed,  a'ld 
just  as  everyihiiiij^  in  the  tent  was  saturated  we  moved 
into  tb.v!  house,  and  I  was  transferred  to  a  j)ile  of 
patent  *uel  boxes  in  one  corner.  Then  the  stoxc  was 
set  uj),  the  stovepiije  bein^-  pushed  through  th(;  near- 
est window  after  the  st\l(,*  of  architecture  recoi^mised 
in  s(juatt(;r  town,  and  oraduall\-  our  e(|uip'ment  was 
brought  under  cover  and  dried. 

No  part  of  our  househ.>ld  e(|uipment  requiretl  more 
careful  con^ideration  than  our  stove,  but  b\-  sinkiiiL:'  it 
in  a  pit  in  the  lloor  so  that  the  tirej)Ot  was  Ixdow  the 
floor  level  and  carr\inL;-  the  stox'epipe  through  a 
double  window,  two  of  the  i)an(  s  ol  ^lass  in  which 
hatl  bcMii  replaced  by  slieets  ot  tin.  thus  keei);n:^"  the 
pijje  throuL;houL  its  entire  exl-  nt  entire!)'  awii\'  irom 
contiict  with  anv  woodwork,  the  two  Li'rc^at  desiderata 
were  a.cc()mplished  :  of  warming'  the  air  in  tlv'  room 
clear  down.  L(/  tile  floor  h'X'el,  aiul  of  obviating"  an\' 
possibilit)'  of  ai.  accidental  fire. 

Tl'ie  next  mutter  of  \ital  importance  in  our  house- 
I'lOld  econoniN'  was  that  of  sufficient  and  ecjuable  \en- 
tilation.  This  was  <iccomi)1ish(,'d  l)^' suitabh  arranifed 
and  |)roportionetl  air-sliafts,  through  which  all  of  the 
moisture  and  batl  air  escajjed. 

When  the  weather  was  extremctlv  cold,  the  conden- 
sation  from  the  warm  air  escaping'  through  the  shafts 
was  likt;  thick  white  smoke.      Rude  but  comfortable 


I '     I 


Preparing;- *^^i^n-  N()rth-(  irccnland  Home     f>5 

bunks  were  constructed  for  "\-er\on'.',  ;uul  these,  with  a 
nunilx.T  of  chairs,  tal)l",  ;iii(l  s(  \'eral  boxes  of  l)ooks, 
coniplc^tcnl  the  furnishinL;  of  the  house.  Our  hl)rary 
inchided  a  larL^e  number  of  works  on  Arctic  e.\|)lora- 
tion.  novels,  and  other  reaihiiL;'  matter,  and  also  an 
Italian  dictionary  which  some  kiiul  friend  hid  sent 
us  without  accompany 
Iul;-  it  with  an)'  liteTa- 
ture  in  that  lan^iuiL^e. 

W'luMi  the  snow 
c  a  m  (; ,  tin,'  wall  all 
around  was  h  ea  v  i  1  y 
banktnl  with  snow,  and 
a  foot  of  snow  was 
j)iled  on  the  can\as 
roof  of  the  corridor  or 
passaij^e-way  between 
th(;  house  and  the  wall 
around  it.  Then,  with 
blocks  and  slabs  of 
hard  snow,  a  thick  wall 
was  built  to  protect 
the  Liable,  and  with 
more  blocks  and  slabs 
a  lon;^,  narrow,  low 
snow  entrance  to  the 
corridor  was  built. 
Our  fortress  was  thc-n  complet(;l\-  fortified  against  the 
severest  assaults  of  the  arctic  winter. 

On  tlu;  whole,  with  the  exception  of  the  tlrst  ten 
days,  w'v.  had  ver\-  bt'autiful  weatlier  for  ;i  month 
after  the  A'i/c  \v.h  us.  Day  after  da\-.  the  sun  shone 
bri^'htK'.  The  watc:r  of  the  ba\'  was  blue  and  spark- 
ling^ and  the  iceberg's  gleamed  in  the  j^'enial  sunlight 
like  marble,  while  the  wind  blew  soft  and  warm.  I 
think  the  wc^ather  we   enjo)ed   during   August   must 


UNTOLD  WEALTH 

Sc'c  I\nifi.'aii(l  MiiT  r  in  tlit Wniiiiiii's  IlaiK 


in 


86 


Northward  over  the  "  Circat  Ice" 


'I  I- 
If 


:  i 


bi- cxci'piiDiial  ill  ihiil  far  norlhcni  rcL;i()ii  ;  or  perhaps 
it  was  the  Indian  suinnicr  of  the  arctic  lands.  I'Orc- 
warninL^s  of  approachini^'  vvint{M*  came  to  us,  liowcxcr. 
l)('ton'  the  end  of  the  nioiilh.  In  the  latter  part  of 
Aii^ust  we  had  considerable  foi;  and  threatening^ 
weather.  ( )n  August  2Sth,  it  bcL^an  snowing-  and 
th(-'  snow  fell  ra|)idl\'  for  an  hoar  or  two.  Next  day 
th(.'  momUains  on  both  sides  of  the  bay  were  coxcred 
with  snow  to  within  about  4(^0  feet  of  tlu^  sea  level. 
Kain   alternated    with    snow   and    the  day   was   very 


CRIPPLE    BEACH. 

My  I'lDiiK-nadc. 

disaj^reeable.  We  spent  it  overhaulinL,^  one  of  the 
sled^'es  lor  the  approachint;'  sledj^inL;'  season.  On 
AuLi'ust  2gth,  it  snowed  ai^f'ain,  and  at  midnight  the 
oToinul  for  the  first  tinK;  was  white  down  to  the 
water's  ed^e.  It  melted,  h()wt;v(.,T,  next  day,  and  no 
snow  was  se(;n  at  a  lower  (devation  than  300  to  400 
feet    above  the  sea.      On   the  last  day  of  August,  it 


\i.  i 


Preparing;  Our  North-C  irccnlaiul  Home     ^7 

Wiis  i'\  idciU  that  smnnuT  was  .it  an  ciul.  1  lu:  liltlti 
brook  near  tin-  house  hail  ah'tady  \)vcn  frozen  over 
for  two  or  three  chiys. 

Soon  after  the  /\'/7r  left  us.  1  was  able  to  i^ct  around 
on  crutches,  and  one  of  the  deh^hts  of  hie  was  to  sit 
in  front  of  the  house,  taUini;  sund)aths  ami  enjo\in,L,^ 
the  inviuoratinLr  air.      Before  the  middle  of  the  month, 


ARCTIC    HOUSE   BUILDING. 


the  ice  was  almost  entireh'  out  of  the  hay,  hut  nume'r- 
ous  small  her^s  from  the  glacier  at  its  head  were 
scatterc'd  over  its  surface,  antl  fre(|uentl\'  W(;  heard 
the  loud  reports  as  they  broke  to  i)ieces.  On  August 
15th,  I  observed  that  the  snow  on  the  ice-caps  sur- 
rounding- McCormick  i)a\'  was  melting-  (juite  rapidly, 
and  the  ice  coukl  be  plainl\-  seen  bluish-i^reen  in  colour. 
Most  of  the  days  were  very  deliLihtful  as  I  sat  in  frcjnt 


,'1 


<• 


f  t 


I  <  i. 


88 


Northward  over  tiic  "Great  Ice" 


of  the  house;  ci'^faiiist  the.  whaloboat  Mary  Peary, 
enjoying;  my  sun-hath.  The."  \\\.\.\v.  brook  beside  the 
house  i)abbled  iiK^rrilv,  tlic;  llocks  of  httle  auks  tlcw 
past  just  off  the  beach,  utteriiiLj;'  their  (garrulous  cries, 
and  every  few  minutes  I  coultl  hear  the  crash  and 
thunder  of  a  sundering"  bersj"  rolhuLT  across  the  bav. 
'\\\v.  mosses  and  scant  ves^^'tation  of  the  rock  slopes 
alont;'  the  shore  were  taking"  on  a  i)urph'sh  hue  as  if 
it  were  the  autumn  f()hai,re. 

On  Aui^ust  iith,  when  I  assit^ned  the  various 
meml)ers  of  the  part\'  to  their  bunks  in  the  house, 
I  settled  upon  the  name  of  our  lowly  home,  callinL^ 
it  Reil  Cliff  House,  aft(M'  the  ed  cliffs  behind  it,  which 
\V('r(;  l\\v.  most  j)rominent  object  in  view  as  our  steamer 
had  brought  us  into  the  bay.  Red  Cliff  i  louse  beiii'an 
earlv  to  hav<;  its  LJi'ala  occasions.  To  vary  th(;  routine 
of  life;,  we  proposed  to  esi)eciall\-  distinguish  anni- 
vtM-sari(.;s  that  were  of  |)articular  interc;st  to  the 
members  of  our  i)arty.  The  hrst  of  the  fetes  in  our 
new  home:  was  on  August  Sth.  which  was  the  birth- 
day of  m\-  cokuu'ed  bo\-.  Matt.  After  the  boys  had 
hatl  coffee  in  the  morning',  the\-  went  off  on  a  hunt 
and  came  back  early  in  the  afternoon  with  our  lirst 
deer,  which  had  been  shot  1)\-  Astriip  on  the  plateau 
above  the  cliffs  back  ol  the  house.  Tlu'ir  exercise 
<4'ave  them  sj)lendid  appetites  for  the  birthday  dinner. 
Matt  had  made  out  the  bill  ot  fare,  taking-  anything' 
he  chose  from  the  stores,  and  he  had  a  more  thcUi 
usually  tine  s])read.  The  third  anniversary  of  the 
weddiuLi"  of  Mrs.  Pear\' and  nnself  occurrticl  on  August 
iith,  and  while  the  b()\-s  were  off  in  the  boat  after 
seals,  Mrs.  Pear\-  j^ot  uj)  a  litcle  extra  tlinner.  Tl'ie 
luxurious  feast  was  served  on  a  bare-board  tab!''  in 
tin  mess-|)ans.  It  consisted  of  little-auk  ste-w.  hot 
biscuit,  ajiple-pie,  pears,  and  coffee,  with  a  cocktail  to 
start  with  and  a  ^iass  of    Haut   Sauterne   all   around. 


I' 


%. 


a 


Prcparini;-  Our  Xorth-Grccnland  Home     ^9 

Th(j  bill   of   fare   was   (.Icclar.-d    1)\-  our   piirt)-  to   tciul 
to  make  weddiiiij;^  anniviTsarios  })oi)ul;ir. 

Diiriiiij^  the  hours  I  sj)(,'in  in  the  sunliL^iu  in  front  of 
tlu'  hous(;  or  on  the  sl()j)cs  hotwccn  the  house  and  th(,' 
cliffs  ])ack  of  it.  I  was  ^rcatl)'  entertained  hy  watching 
the  m;inifold  phases  of  animal  life  that  were  to  he 
seen  ;it  all  times.  l^'locks  of  kittiwakes  hshed  aloiiij;' 
the   shore,   and  white  whales  sportetl   in   the   waters, 


.1 , 


..    > 


/  r 


REST   AFTER    LABOUR. 


their  antics  ^ivin^-  us  much  amusement.  fa^cr  and 
burgomaster  ^ulls  passed  oxer  the  camp  in  small  num- 
bers. On  August  14th,  I  saw  a  blue  I  ox  j)assinL;"  alon^" 
the  beach  in  tront  of  the  house.  Wdien  he  saw  me 
he  stopped,  but  before  Mrs.  Pear\'  could  brin^-  m\- 
rifle  he  had  trotted  slowly  awa\-  up  the  beach.  1 
whistled  to  him  and  he  st()i)ped  a^ain,  and,  callini;- 
Matt,  I  iiaxe  him   th(i  rilli-  and  told   him  to  ijo  after 


i!-. 

fi  '"■ 


(e 


:iU 


'A 


90 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice 


th(.;  animal.  ^hltt  found  that  whistlin!^^  would  make 
him  st()[j  and  look  around,  and  so  walking'  and  whist- 
lin;^  he  i^ot  within  ran^c  and  shot  him.  The  fox 
had  haz(;l  c;ycs,  was  in  poor  condition,  and  WL'i_!:j;"hcd 
just  seven  pounds.  His  teeth  were  badly  worn,  and 
as  he  lo[)ed  alon^'  th<;  beach  he  had  a  vcr)-  spidery, 
lonL^deiroecl  appearance.  As  Matt  was  brini^in^'  his 
prize  back  to  the  house,  a  raviMi  circled  over  and  I 
dropped  him  with  my  three-barrelled  Ljun.  He  weighed 
three  jjounds  and  was  also  in  very  p.ior  |)lumaLi■l^ 

Little  auks  were  to  Ix;  seen  1)\-  the  million,  and  I 
spent  hours  watching"  them  tl\'  over  our  camj).  ( )ne 
afternoon  about  the  middle  of  the  month,  there  was 
a  continued  succession  of  llocks  nundx-riuL;'  from  a 
half-dozen  to  two  hundred  or  three  hundred  birds, 
Tlu')'  were  passing'  steadiK'  down  the  ba}'.  (  )ne  series 
of  llocks  woultl  lly  onK'  three;  or  four  feet  abo\-e  the 
wat(!r,  from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred  \ar(ls  from 
the  shore.  Another  dixision  would  pass  hi^h  in  the 
air  over  the  house,  and  still  other  tleeks  were  hi^luM' 
)'et  and  scarcely  visible.  Most  of  the  ni  llew  in  morc^ 
or  less  regular  trian!_;les  or  crescents,  the  ;ip;\  or  con- 
vexity always  in  front.  i)\-  .Xui^ust  2gth.  the  little 
auks  h;id  practicalU'  left  us.  though  an  occasional 
stra^^'ler  was  to  be  seen.  The  i^uillemots  had  also 
tlisappeared,  but  the  bur^omaslers  had  been  more 
numerous  for  a  few  da\'s,  twent\'  or  more  passing'  at  a 
time.  ( )n  August  28^11.  I  saw  a  dreenland  falcon  at 
Cape  Cleveland.  ' 

Mv  broken  leij-  was  meiKlin->-  nicelw       On   Au''ust 


I 

i       :| 

'   ) 


* 


I'      I 


'  I'roni  the  I 'Jtli  t' >  tlic  i>ilii>f  Aiii;usi,  Mr>.  I'eary.  Matt,  ami  m\>L-lf  were 
alniif  at  the  hiju--e,  the  re^l  nf  ihe  pait}'  liein;^  awav  in  tlie  l-'ciitli,  on  a  vdxa^e 
to  tile  i>ian(l>.      An  aceoimi  of  this  tiip  is  coiitaineii  in  the  next  eliapter. 

Duiiiisj;  their  absence.  Mrs.  I'caiy  ami  I  sIm.kI  the  ni^iil  watch  ;  Mis.  I'earv 
took  chai;^e  of  the  eulinai'  •  ile|>ailM)ent,  while  I  read  the  instrnnients  at  the 
rej.;ular  hoi;is.  Malt  stood  the  <l  ly  waicli,  and  occupied  himself  with  the  fouml- 
atioiis  of  the  wall  which  wa^  to  surround  and  |iroiect  the  house. 


i'l 


Prcparin^^  Our  North-Grccnlantl  I  Ionic    91 

15th,  with  the  aitl  of  my  crutches,  I  took  nn-  first  walk 
since  the  accident  happened.  On  the  lOth  inst.,  I 
hobbled  up  the  hill  back  of  the  house,  and  bei^an 
puttiuij^  my  foot  on  the  sj^round  a  little.  It  was  just 
hve  weeks  since  I  had  broken  my  le^-  ;  five  weeks  of 
most  valuable  time,  but  I  did  not  feel  like  comj)lain- 
ino^,  for  my  le^  was  doinsj;'  well  and  there  was  no  doubt 
but  that  in  time  it  would  be  as  j^ood  as  ever. 


HARPOON    PRACTICE    UNDER    DIFFICULTIES. 

I  spent  most  of  the  time  on  August  13th  with  the 
small  transit  determining-  the  meridian.  ( )n  the  i6th 
inst.,  I  took  another  set  of  circum-meridian  altitudes, 
and,  a  few  da\'s  later,  I  secured  L;"o()tl  obs(M"\ations  for 
latitude  and  rate  of  watch. 

At  3:30  o'clock  on  the  morninL^"  of  August  iSth, 
Matt  came  to  our  room,  crying-  "  rhe\'  are  coniin^-, 
sir,"  and  in  a  few  minutes  after  roundin^^  the  point,  the; 
bo\s  landed  in  front  of  the  house  with  130  ih-iinnich's 
sjfuillemots  and  an  Eskimo  famiK',  consisliiiij oi  a  man, 
his  wife,  and  two  children,  with  a  kayak  and  harpoon, 


f^'   ! 


*  . 


i  I 


I 


92 


Northward  over  the  "  Orcat  Ice 


fi; 

1 

ij  I 

if' hi 

Si 

(;■'■ 

h  ^ 


.,  _.  ^cs  on  accoi 

so  the  first  Kskinios  whom  I  saw  were  this  family  that 
m\-  partN'  had  l)rou!j;"ht  hack  from  Northumherhmd 
Ishmd.  They  were  Ikwa,  ^hlne  his  wife,  AniKulore  th.e 
Httle  i-irl,  and  tlie  Ijahy,  Xo\a.      This  family  remained 


I      ',!) 


Preparing  Our  North-Greenland  Home     93 

constantly  with  mc  until  my  (l('i)artiirc!  from  Reel  Cliff, 
with  the  excL'))tion  of  a  few  short  visits  to  their  home, 


m  order,  as  we  afterwards  learnetl,  to  an'  their  niiport- 
ance  and  exhii)iL  tlie  wealth  the\'  ha  I  newl\-  ac(|uired 
from  the  white  men.     I  hev  became  ver\-  much  attached 


to  us,  as  we  did   to  thei 


tenacity,  assis 


ted  I 


m,   and    Ikwa's   patience   anc 


)\'  one.'  ot   m\ 


f 


W 


mclKsters,  ac 


1 
Ided 


many  a  fine  deer  to  the  Red  Cliff  storehouse  ;    while 

]\Iane  became  Mrs.  Peary's  ea^'er  anil  faithful  servant. 

Our  huntino-  made  fair  progress  in  Auj^ust,  thouj^h 

we  needed  the  tuition  that  we  obtained  later  from  ex- 


pert  native  hunters,  to  make  us  most  efficient  in 


the 


field.  I  have  alreatly  recorded  that  we  L;'ot  our  first 
deer  on  tlu;  bleak  plateau  back  of  the  house  on  Au- 
o^ust  8th.  Soon  after  the  bo\s  returiKxl  froin  North- 
umberland   Island,   thev    had    an   unsuccessful   chase 


aft(M"  white  whah 
Ik 


es  •   hut   next  da\-,  jUst   l)eiore   noon, 

A  wick. 


\va  came  runniiiL;'  to  tiie  liousc,  cryinL;- 
awick  I"  ("  W'ah'us,  walrus  I")  and  pointiuL;-  down  the 
ba)'.  Sure  enough,  then;  were  three  or  four  walrus 
coming  rapidly  on,  and  the  boys.  jumpiiiL;-  into  the 
Faif/i,\\(i\\i  soon  out  near  them,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
(after  a  volU^y  of  twelve  or  fifteen  shots)  lliey  had  a 
dead  walrus  in  tow,  two  or  more  others  haxinsj-  bee 


n 


woun 


ded.      The  walru 


s  weiLi'hed   '  S6q  pounils,  estimat 


iuij^  the  blood  and  internal  organs  at  i  25  pouiuls.    The 


ikin 


wei'j 


•hed    22 


o  i)ouiKis.  anc 


l1  the   l(Mi''"th  of  the  ani- 


m 


:il  was  nine  fet-t.      Ikwa  used  the  skin    for  coveri 


IlL! 


his  winter  habitation,  th(;  walls  of  which  he  had  be^un 


building"  the  day  bcfor 
:list 


n 


carried  stones  for  (juitt 


a  chstance,  some  ot  tliem  wei-'hrnL!'  as  mucD  as  one  hun- 


dred 


jJOU 


nds. 


On  Auij;-ust  27th,  soon  after  mitlniLiht,  (iib'<on.  Matt, 
and    Ikwa  went  out   and  -jot  a  female  walrus  and   a 


voun*''   one. 


Th 


e    NouiV''    animal,  wliicli    was    :ils:)    a 


female,  was   brought  ashore  and   it   barked  about  the 
beach   much   hke  a  hoarse  bulldoi^'  until   it  was  shot 


;li 


i      ■ 


.tl 


I  :■■ '  I 


ii 


«  !!' 


i\ 


I 


It^ 


94 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


to  put   it  out  of  its  misery.      Wc  also   killed  a  sj^ood 
many  hurj.!^omaster  L,adls.   auks,  and  other  hirds  near 

the  camp.     Late  in  the 


mon 


th. 


we  sa\v 


th 


e  sun 


set,  a  phenomenon  that 
had  not  occurred  before 
since  we  reached  the 
arctic  reL,n*ons.  On  the 
nii^ht  of  August  29th,  a 
\Ujht  was  needed  for 
the  first  time  and  the 
watch  burned  candles 
for  several  hours.  The 
loULi^  summer  day  was 
at  an  end,  but  winter 
was  not  yet  upon  us. 

Monday,  AuL(ust3  i  st, 
dawned  clear  and  calm, 
and  I  started  Astriip 
with  his  ski  for  a  twen- 
ty-four-hour reconnais- 
sance of  the  Inland  Ice, 
east  of  McCormick  Bay. 
He  returned  at  mid- 
nig-ht  after  a  sixteen- 
hour  absence.  He  had  travelled  an  estimated  distance 
of  seve  nteen  miles,  but  had  not  rounded  the  head  of 
the  bay.  The  greatest  altitude  he  attained  was  2645 
feet  and  the  lowest  temperature  was +25°  F.  He 
reported  that  the  travelling  on  the  Inland  Ice,  as  far 
as  he  was  able  to  see  it,  was  perfection.  He  saw  no 
crevasses,  rivers,  or  ponds.  His  observations,  how- 
ever, tended  to  show  that  our  start  for  the  spring 
sledginif  on  the  Inland  Ice  niust  be  made  from  the 
north-east  side  of  the  bay,  as  a  deep  valley  seemed  to 
cut  through  from  the  valley  at  the  head  of  McCor- 
mick Bay  southward  to  Whale  Sound. 


GREENLAND    FALCON. 


i  ' 


c ,.,-,_»  -  „  .•>.-rt^"J'*\TXS3I3 


!f 


CHAPTER  III. 


lioAT  V()VA(;h  to  the   islands. 

iNSTKrCTI.iNS    TO    (ill'.SON,    Dk.    CooK      VeKHOKIK,     AM,     A  STRIP— ( WUs,  ).n's 

Kei'okt—Du.  (.•()., k's  Rki'okt--I)ksikiitk).\  of  HAKi.fvr  Isiand  hv  Vkk- 
Hor.M-. 


i-'  'i 


I}, 


f,        : 


i 


i  'I, 


(  I 


r   I 


iit      I 


THE  FAITH. 


'€ 


I 

■I 


I 


h 


M 


if 


CHAPTER   III. 


BOAT    VOVACiK    TO     TIIK    ISLANDS. 


O 


V( 


X  he  iftcrnoon  of 
.\"..  ust  I  2th,  ( iih- 
so  Dr.  Cook, 
crl  '  ';i;  'Mul  Astriip,  Ciih- 
son  m  iPinand  and  I  )r. 
Coo^'  second,  left  in  the 
wha  ''oat  haith,  provi- 
sioncMJ  for  fourteen  (hi\s, 
for  Herbert.  Xorthuniher- 
land,and  Hakhiyt  Ishmds, 
to  obtain  birds  from  some 
of  the  loomeri(,'s,  to  make 
plans  of  Eskimo  houses  and  villa_L(es,  to  communicate 
with  the  natives,  obtain  from  tlu'm  furs  and  clothino-, 
inform  them  of  the  location  of  our  house,  and.  if  pos- 
sible, induce  a  famiU'  to  come  and  settle  near  us.  The 
Faith  was  thoroughly  equi[)jjed  with  oars,  sails,  anchor, 
and  so  on,  and  the  boys  were  supjjlied  with  compass, 
chart,  oil-stove,  rilles,  shot-L^un,  and  some  five;  hundred 
rounds  of  ammunition.  All  the  forenoon  was  occupied 
in  packing"  tea,  coffee,  sui^ar,  and  other  articles,  and 
personal  outfits  for  the  journey,  and  the  start  was 
made  with  a  liii^ht  favourin;^  l)reeze  and  with  the  cliffs 
of  Northumberland  Island  showini^  clearly. 

The    followinuf    instructions    to    Cdbson.  the    com- 

97 


('m'I 


! 


r 


A> 


v^,. 


IP  .' 


f 


98 


Northward  onlt  the  "(ircat  Ice" 


maiidcr  of  the  expedition,  to^'cther  with  a  narrative 
of  the  vo\a!L;'e  in  his  own  lan^uaL^e.  and  extracts  from 
the  rej)orts  of  other  niemhers  of  the  party,  cover  the 
incidents  and  resiihs  of  the  trip. 

Rki)  Ci.iH'  llmsi:.  North  (Ikkkni. and, 

Aug.  12,  iS()i. 

Sir  :— \'()u  are  hereby  phiced  in  command  of  the 
l;oat  expedition  to  I  Iakhi)'t.  NorthumhcM'hmd.  and 
Herbert  Ishinds,  and  possibly  tlie  south  si(U'  of 
Whale  Sound. 

On  lea\in^-  luTe  you  will  proceed  to  Hakluyt 
Island,  aiid  endeavour  to  locate  the;  loomery  of  guille- 
mots sui)posetl  to  exist  there.  If  succ(.'ssful  in  so 
doinu;',  you  will  obtain  as  many  of  the  birds  as  possible, 
and  then  ])roceed  to  the;  settUmient  at  the  south  side 
of  Herlx.'rt  Island  \isit(;d  1)\-  the  Kite  on  her  wa\' 
here,  and  at  that  time  unoccupied.  Should  \()U  at 
any  point  cii  route  to  Ilakhut  Island  discover  a 
loomery,  it  will  not  be  necessar)'  to  continue  to 
Hakluyt. 

\'ou  will  remain  at  the  IlerlxM't  Island  villaii^e  lono^ 
enough  to  permit  complete;  plans  and  sketches  of  the; 
village  to  be  maele  b\'  Astruj).  and,  in  case  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  village  ha\e  returned,  to  enable  Dr.  Cook 
to  complete  the  ne'i^otiations  in  rejj^ard  to  which  he  has 
instructions. 

This  work  completed,  you  will  examine  as  much  of 
the  shores  of  Northumberlanel  and  Herbert  Islands 
as  {practicable  without  pre)lonL(intj;'  your  absence  from 
camp  beyond  ten  ekus.  anel  then  return  to  camp. 

In  case  no  natives  are  found  on  Herbert  or  North- 
umberlanel Islanels.  vou  will  exercise  your  own  iuehj- 
ment  as  to  proceedins^-  to  Ittibloo.  While  it  is  desirable 
to  communicate  with  the  natives  and  obtain  furs  and 
clothing-  fre^m  them,  your  trip  must  under  no  circum- 


-*<«».. 


*   I 


■.,  * 


u 
2 
< 

V. 


X 
H 


Z 
< 

o: 

DO 

S 
D 
X 
H 
OS 

o 

s 


O 
2 

< 

01 

H 

>• 
D 
»j 

< 
X 


'( 


loo       Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

stances  l)(j  proloiiL^n^cl  Ix'vond  a  period  of  two  weeks, 
nor  are  you  to  take  an\'  risks  wliatevcr  in  crossinjj^  the 
Sound. 

W'hiU;  sailin,L{  sou  will  avoid  iceherLjs.  and  when  at 
anchor  or  canipt-d  on  shore  you  will  never  fail  to  have 
a  man  continuousK-  on  watch. 

When  in  tlu;  neiij^hhourhood  of  natives  you  will 
always  leave  one  man  to  s^uard  tlu;  boat  and  its 
contents. 

N'ou  will  keep  a  full  journal  durini^^  your  absence, 
and  on  xour  return  submit  it  to  me. 

In  conclusion,  I  will  call  \()ur  attention  to  the  neces- 
sity  for  the  utmost  care  and  attention  to  e\ery  detail 
of  e(|uii)nient  and  methotls,  as  upon  this  will  depend 
N'our  success  and  the  comfort  of  )()ur  part)-. 

\'ery  respectfulK'. 

(>S>.'/Av/)  R.   \\.  Pkakv,   I'.  S.   \.. 

C  'oiiiDiaiii/iiij^  Iixpcdi(io)i. 

Mr.  L.wciioN  ("iii'.si  )N. 


/'! 


kill   Cl  II  1    llol'^r.    NdKIII   C.KI-KM.ANn. 

Aiij^'.   12,  1 891. 

.Siu:  —  \'()u  will  be  second  in  command  of  the  boat 
ex|)edition  to  Herbert.  Northumberland,  and  Hakluyt 
Islands,  and.  in  the  event  of  serious  accident  to  Mr. 
Ciibson,  will  assume  the  command. 

HuriuL;'  the  absence  of  the  expedition  you  will  note 
carefulK'  the  location  of  all  l^skimo  houses  and 
villages  on  the  shores  \isited.  and  will  take  full 
ilescriptive  notes  of  them,  mode  ol  construction,  size, 
material,  etc. 

Should  \()u  tmd  nati\('s  you  will  endeavour  to 
obtain  from  them  reindeer,  and  bear,  and  blue-fox 
skins,  and  especiall)'  kamiks. 

\'()u  will  endea\()ur  to  make  th('  nativ(;s  understand 


f\ 


^i 


Hoat  \'()va<'c  to  the  Islands 


*.^ 


lOI 


th«'  location  of  the  house  aiul  iht  tacl  ihal  tlicy  can 
find  tlicrc  (Icsirahle  articlL's  in  (j.\chan*,a:  for  their  furs 
anil  iniplcnicnts. 

If  practicahlc.  induce  a  man  and  woman  ( possessors 
of  a  kayak  and  acci.'ssorics)  to  return  with  you  and 
settle  for  the  winter  near  the  house. 


i- 

1 

iL 

^'•4-:-ri.:..   ,^ 

.  .-'  Vi 

M': 

■ 

-,    ,_      "»*.«,,B»^ 

■^w^^^ 

ij^,.^ 

?^ 

^^ 

m 

WALRUS   IN    MURCHISON   SOUND. 

if  \()U  do  not  succeed  in  this  vou  may  be  abh-  to 
brinj^^  a  man  with  his  ka\ak  back  with  xou. 

As  an  induceuKMU  xou  can  perhaps  con\-e\-  to  him 
the  idea  of  his  having  a  ^un  to  use. 

{S/oynW)    R.  !•:.  Pi  Akv,  r.  .s.  X.. 

( 'o))n)iandi)io'  /i.xpfdilion. 
Dr.  F.  A.  C....K. 

Sui'ocoii  at  id  lithuoloirist. 


/■'» 


/il 


•i-j^ir- 


I02       Northwcird  o\'cr  the  "  ( ji'cat  Ice 


Ri:i)  Ci.ii  r  IlmsK,  NOuni  (Ikii.ni.and, 

Aug.  12,  iS()i. 


Sir: — DuririL;  the  ahscncc  of  the  boat  (^xiK'dition 
you  will  nicikc  as  complete  a  mincralouical  ami  topo- 
l^Taphical  examination  of  localitic!S  visited  as  j)ossil)le, 
and  wiicnt-'ver  ])ractical)k;  obtain  with  compass  and 
aneroid  a  careful  vertical  cross-section  normal  to  the 


THE    FIRST   NATIVE. 

rhoti).  l)y  Dr.  Cook. 

shore,  extending-  from  the  water  level  to  the  crest  of 
the  cliffs. 

You  will  also  keep  a  L;eneral  record  of  the  weather. 

Very  respecifully, 
(Sio-ncd)       R.  E.  ^l;.\K^ .  U.  S.  X., 

Coniuiaudincr  Expedition . 
Jxo.  M.  YkriiokI'-f, 
Miucralooi^^t. 

Astriip  was  requested  orally  to  make  sketches  and 
])lans  of  the  I^skimo  dwellinos  and  villages. 


■■*»». 


Boat  Vovasjc  to  the  Ishiiids 


103 


KKl'Okr     ttl-      l.A.\(,l)(  )N     (;ii;.Mi.\,      I\     (OMMANK     of     Wn.W 

.•///;'VAs7  ]2//l  —  ilaxiiiLi'  received  our  sailing"  instruc- 
tions, and  all  hein^"  in  readiness  for  starting,  with  a 
boat's  cr(AV  of  three  hesidc's  nnself.  coinprisiuL;'  I  )r. 
F.  A.  Cook.  I^^i\ind  Astriip,  and  j.  M.  X'erhoell.  we 
set  sail  from   Red  Cliff  i  louse  this  afternoon  at  4:10. 


ESKIMO    FAMILY    AND    l  ENT,  NORTHUMBERLAND   ISLAND. 

riioto.  by  Dr.  Cook. 

We  proceeded  as  far  as  Cape  Cleveland,  aided  by  a 
liij^ht  wind  from  the  east,  which  was  also  accompanied 
by  a  lii^ht  rain.  When  abreast  of  the  cape,  the  wind 
failed  us  altoij^ether,  and  we  were  com|jelletl  to  use  the 
oars.  At  seven  o'clock,  we  all  rested  and  had  supper, 
consisting'  of  baked  beans,  corned  beef,  crackers,  and 
coffee.      Ahead   of   us  we  could   see,    in   the   direction 


'l| 


f    !} 


'I  »r ' ' 


it 


i-  4  -ii 


!  f      i 


M;    I    r 


104       Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

of  Herbert  Island,  consitk-raljle  ice,  which  seemed, 
thoiiL^h^  to  he  much  l)roken  up.  At  eii^ht  o'clock,  a 
lijL^ht  breeze  from  the  south-east  helped  us  aloiiL^,  ancl 
we  were  enabled  to  lay  our  course  north  by  west 
(mai'-  )  for  the  northern  i)oint  of  Herb(;rt  Island. 
\\'(  soon  came  up  with  the  ice,  which  seemed  to  be 
cover(!tl  with  innumerable  tlark  objects,  and  which,  on 
closer  inspection,  proxctl  to  be  a  lari^e  herd  of  walrus, 
Takintj^  in  our  sails,  not  carinij^  to  be  botbered  with 
them  in  so  lii_;ht  a  wind,  and  placing"  our  oars  in  posi- 
tion, we  rowed  cautiously  to  within  about  fifty  feet  of 
a  cake  of  ice  which,  by  actual  count,  contained  four- 
teen of  the  brutes,  I  lere  we  j)aused  lon^-  enoui^h  for 
the  Doctor  to  obtain  some  sna|)s  at  tlumi  with  the 
kodak,  and  then,  at  the  word,  we  all  bred  ;  our  bulK.'ts 
seemed  to  hav(!  but  little  ellect  on  their  touL;h  hidi'S, 
for,  with  sull(,'n  roars,  thev  one  1)\"  one  rolled  into  tlie 
water,  and  the  tloe  on  which  the\-  were,  relie\t'd  of  the 
j^Teat  weiiji'ht  to  which  it  had  l)een  subjected,  arose 
at  least  a  foot  more  out  of  water.  W  e  then  stood 
read\-  to  row  or  shoot  as  circumstances  mi^ht  recpiire. 

I  he\-  soon  came  to  the  surface  some  distance  away, 
and  after  trxiuL;"  a  few  more  shots,  which  1  found  to 
l>e  a  useless  waste  of  ammunition,  we  proceeded  once 
more  on  our  journcw  1)\"  tiiis  time  the  wind  had  in- 
creased to  a  whole-Scdl  i)reeze,  and  setting-  sail  once 
more  we  went  alonj^'  at  a  i^ood  speed  antl  founil  no 
trouble  in  passing-  through  the  ice,  which,  on  tn*st  in- 
sjx'ction,  seemed  to  be  a  barrier  of  no  little  import- 
ance.     At  ten  o'clock,  we  jxissed  the:  sound  dixidin^' 

Herbert  and  Xorthimiberland  Islands  and  soon  foimd 
ourselves  sailing-  alon^'  ( at  ^ocxl  speed  1  the  coast  of 
the  latter  island,  whose  shore  presented  a  most  deso- 
late appearance,  bein^'  utterK'  dexoid  of  Nci^etation. 
At  elexH-n  o'clock,  I  turned  in  with  I  )r.  Cook,  lea\inL,r 
Astriip  at  the  helm,  and  X'erhoett  to  tend  sheet. 


'i 

1  ■* 


Boat  \V)\acrc  to  the  Inlands 


\^ 


105 


.lni^iis/  13///. — At  ihrcf  o'clock  this  inorniiiL;-.  wj 
changed  watches.  Hakhi\t  Island  now  appeared  very 
plainly  ahead  of  us,  and  ahout  six  inilcs  distant.  1  he 
wind  iiad  increased  to  almost  a  L;ale.  and  there  was  a 
heavy  sea  runninL^-,  in  which  the  /'\u'///  behaved  most 
admirably.  Guillemots  were  seen  lUinL;-  in  the  direction 
of  the  island,  each  carryinpr  somethini^  in  its  beak.  This 
1  took  to  be  fair  evidence  that  we  would   fmd   their 


ESKIMO   IGLOO,  NORTHUMBERLAND   ISLAND. 

I'roiit  \'icu,      r'lotu.  by  Dr.  Conk. 

loomerx'.  At  \\\v  o'clock,  we  reached  the  island  and 
found  tile  waves  breakini;-  so  hii;h  on  its  steep  and 
rocky  shore  that  it  was  impossible  to  land  the  /-ailli 
with"an\- decree  of  safety  to  her.  So  sailin:^-  around 
a  point  we  canv  upon  some  perix-ndicular  clitts  which 
in  some  ])laces  seemed  to  o\  erhaUL;.  I  hcse  clitts 
facc'd  the  west,  and  it  was  in  \\v  clefts  here  (with 
which  th(;  walls  were  well  fui'rowed)  that  we  tound 
the  guillemots  resting-  in  lar^e  numbers.  \\'estop|)ed 
here  lon-^'  enough  to  prot~ure  a  tew  birds,  but  tound 
much   diihcult\-  in  picking-  up  the  birds,  which   would 


'^ 


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io6       Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

fall  at  th(,'  f(i(U  of  the  cliffs,  on  which  the  waves  w(;re 
l)r('akiii!j^  with  much  force.  So  I  decided  to  look  for 
a  suital)le  cami)in,L,^  sj)Ot,  when  I  could  liL^hteii  the 
boat,  and  then  return  for  more  birds.  We  found 
such  a  i)lace  around  the  point  where  the  cliffs  termin- 
ated, and  on  a  smooth,  shelving-  rock  facing"  the 
south-west.  We  unloaded  the  Faith  and  proceerled 
to  cook  breakfast,  after  which  we  returned  to  theloom- 


ESKIMO    IGLOO.   NORTii:  ■  !>:  BEPT  AND  ISLAND. 

Kuar  \"ic\v.      I'lidto.  b;,    i 'i'.  '  >>  k. 

ery.  By  eight  o'clock,  we  had  gathered  about  forty 
birds,  avera^'ino"  more  than  one  bird  to  the  cartridi^e,  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  we  were  unable  to  ij^et  much  over 
seventy  per  cent,  of  the  birds  killed,  as  they  would 
fall  on  the  little  projections  of  rock  on  the  cliffs  and 
there  lod^^e.  Our  method  of  jjicking-  the  birds  up 
after  they  had  fallen  in  the  water  was  as  follows  : 
after  havins^  droi)ped  as  many  as  we  could  keep  track 
of,  the  i^un  was  put  down,  and  two  men  would  then 
back  the  boat  up  to  the  cliffs,  while  another  would 
stand  bv  to  fend  off  with  a  boat-hook,  and  the  fourth 


Boat  Voya<4C  to  the  Islands 


107 


would  pick  up  th(j  birds.  In  doino-  this,  wc  (several 
times)  came  nearly  strikin^r  the  rocks,  as  the  waves 
were  still  runnini:  vv.vy  hitjh.  We  returned  to  camp 
and  had  an  early  lunch,  after  which  Mr.  X'erhoeff 
started  to  takc^  a  cross-section  of  the  island,  while  Dr. 
Cook  and  Mr.  Astriij)  took  a  walk  alon^ji'shore  in 
search  of  si^ns  of  natives.  It  rained  in  the  afternoon, 
and  by  four  o'clock  the  Doctor  and  Astriip  returned, 
having-  seen  nolhiuij^,  except  a  few  fox-tr;ips.  The 
wind  having-  moderated  considerabh',  we  ni.'ide  one 
more  trip  to  the  loonier)',  and  returnetl  to  camp  two 
hours  later  with  sixt)-t\vo  birds.  \\'(;  waited  supper 
for  Mr.  Verhoeff,  who  did  nc  '.  r(;turn  until  cm l: I  it 
o'clock,  he  having-  Ix.-en  to  the  hi^licst  point  on  the 
island,  whence  he  obtained  a  I'ood  \icw  of  Smith's 
Sound,  comparatively  free  oi  ice,  and  ("irinnell  Land 
appearing-  in  plain  siLj^ht  on  tlie  otln-r  side.  ()n  his 
return,  he  saw  two  youn^"  foxes  of  a  dirty-i^a^ey  colour, 
who  came  ([iiite  close  to  him,  evidentl)'  attracted  In'  a 
piece  of  seal  blubber  which  he  had  taken  from  a  io\- 
trajj  and  was  carryiuL^  in  his  hands.  This  trap,  whicii 
seemed  to  be  of  recent  construction,  he  found  at  i.n 
altitude  of  eleven  hundred  feet.  After  suppe-r,  we 
turned  in  under  the  lee  of  an  ov(]rhan<^n^•  rock,  Mr. 
Verhoeff  and  I  taking'  the  watches  for  the  niij^liL 

Aiio^Ksl  ij^th. — This  mornino-,  ii-^  a  drenching;-  r.;in, 
we  made  our  final  attempt  at 
turntid  to  camp  at  nine  o'clock  w 
makiuL,^  our  entire  catch  one  lui 
On  this  last  trip  I  observe-d  a 
evidently  had  their  nest  alou' 
Other  birds  whicli  we  havc!  s 
raven,  eider-duck,  black  i^uilleinot,  and  little  auk, 
kittiwake  i;ull.  and  burs^omaster.  The  ravens  were 
very  tame,  as  well  as  numerous,  some  of  them  ven- 
turing within  the   limits  of  camp  to  obtain   the  bones 


loomery,  and   re- 

thirt)  more  birds, 

reil  and  thirty-two. 

>ir  of  puffins  whicli 

with   the  ^Cuillemots. 

while;  here  arc;   the 


I  M 


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io8       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

of  birds  that  wc  hatl  (hscarded.  W'c.  had  another 
early  lunch,  and  by  eleven  o'clock  started  for  North- 
umlx.'rland  Island.  st(/|)|)inij;'  for  a  few  minutes  at  the 
eastern  (Mid  of  the  island  to  examine  a  small  loomery 
of  little   auks.      We  soon   crossed   the   Sound   which 


TH^      WAULS         Sf       SUPPOWTIM&TME.       ROOf 


--^ 


C   (\  o  a  i  t   p.  c  T   1   o  r<      ,s-i         n.  -  c^ 

PLAN   AND    SECTION    OF  NORTHUMBERLAND   ISLAND    IGLOOS. 

I  )r:i\\n  by  liisind  A^triip. 

separated  tiie  two  islands,  in  which  we  found  a  stron^' 
current  settling-  to  the  wt^stwartl.  The  tide  was  there 
a!M)ut  halt  hi^h  and  rising-.  Thi-re  was  no  wind,  and 
rowing-  alon^'  slowly  we  came  upon  some  l^skimo  huts 
(at  seven  o'clock).  'l"he\-  pnncd  to  be  deserted  and 
mucli  dilapidated.      lUit  here  we  camped  for  the  niL(ht. 


Boat  Voyagrc  to  the  Islands 


109 


Supper  over,  we  turned  in  after  a  stroll  on  the  beach. 
Dr.  Cook  and  Astriip  liavini;"  tlu;  nin'ht  watch,  ^ives 
theni  ample  time  to  take  tlrawinL;s,  photographs,  antl 
measurements. 

.hicust  1  s//a — At  cML-ht  o'clock  this  mornin*'.  we 
once  more  started  on  our  cruise,  keepini;'  close  to  the 
shore.  We  were  compelletl  to  row,  losiiiL;'  what  litth- 
wind  there  was,  as  it  came  from  the  land.  We  saw 
three  foxe^  at  different  times,  running"  and  (lod^iuL;- 
al(MiL';  the  Ix-ach,  makiti^"  ineltectual  attciupls  to  catch 
the  l)urL;()masi:er  l^uIIs,  who  would  v)nl\-  ll\-  when  th(; 
foxes  s(;emed  almost  upon  them.  At  ahout  tweh'e 
o'ch)t'k,  we  came  to  three  more  stone  i^ioos,  and  as 
\\v.  were  about  to  land  \\v.  were  surprisi-d  at  hearini;" 
a  shout.  l.(H)kin^'  farther  up  the  hill,  we  perceixcd 
a  nali\  e- comiiiL^  towards  us.  He  was  soon  followed 
b\"  his  wife  and  two  children,  the  younger  ol  which 
she  c;u"ried  in  her  lioed.  '  v'e  had  lunch,  which  we 
shared  witli  them.  1  hev  liked  coffee  and  crackers, 
hut  did  not  sc-em  to  fancy  baked  beans  or  tomatoes. 
In  the  afternoon  the  woman  made  us  a  pair  of  kamiks, 
and  lat(-r  on  we  tried  as  well  as  we  could,  b\  mak- 
ing'sii^ns,  to  show  that  We  wanted  tliem  to  accompany 
us  back.  Ikwa,  for  such  is  the  man's  name,  schmus  to 
untlerstand,  but  we  do  not  (|uite  make  out  his  an- 
swer. Mr.  X'erhoeft  and  1  take  the  ni^ht  watch.  It 
he's  stopped  rainiuL,^,  and  looks  as  though  it  were 
t^oin^-  to  clear. 

.■///;'//.v/  16//'. —  This  morning-,  aft(M"  breakfast,  it 
bein^'  Sunda\,  we  had  a  xote  as  to  whether  W(; 
should  tra\'''  or  rest,  and  as  all  the  boN's  seemed  anx- 
ious to  return  to  \\v(\  Cliff  House;  to  enjoy  the  lux- 
uries of  home  life,  I  decicU.'d  to  mo\'e  aloiiL^.  After 
the  boat  had  been  reloaded  and  readw  we  made  one 
more  attempt  to  induce;  Ikwa  and  Mane,  his  wife,  to 
come  with    us,  which   they  decided    cpiite  suddeidy  to 


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iio       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

do,  and  wiih  apparent!)'  no  pi"t;parations  whatrvcT. 
V\v.  hrouL,du  his  doL,^  a  female,  also  his  kayak,  which 
we  towed  Ix-hind  us.  Shortly  aftcn*  leaving,  we  came 
into  si^ht  of  a  discharL^inL,^  o-lacier,  whose  surface  was 
discoloured  a  deep  hriek-red.  Tht;  colouring'  matter 
was  onl\'  su])erticial.  however,  for  ict^her^s  only  re- 
centl\-  detached  seemed  to  contain  nothin«''  hut  clear 


ESKIMOS   ON    NORTHUMBERLAND    ISLAND. 

I'holo.  liy  Dr.  Cook. 

ice.  A  little  farther  on,  we  found  lloatino^  a  seal 
spear,  which  we  pickt^d  up,  and  soon  after  this  we 
came  around  a  point  antl  found  ourstdves  ([uite  near 
an  Eskimo  settlement.  We  could  see  natives  run- 
ning- from  one  tent  to  anotlu'r,  and  one  took  a  kavak 
and  came  to  meet  us.  There  was  considerable  hea\y 
ice  at  this  point,  and  hapjx'nin^-  to  strike  the  rii^ht 
kme  of  water,  we  were  soon  landed,  and  the  boat  was 


I 


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Boat  \\)yai^c  to  the  Islands 


1 1 1 


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surrounded  l)y  natives,  who  would  have  JLj^ot  in  it  hatl 
we  allowed  them  to.  Mere  we  decided  to  spend  the 
remainder  of  the  tlay.  Dr.  Cook  started  in.  and  soon 
had  trailed  for  man)'  valuable  ethnological  specimens. 
We  also  obtained  two  mon;  pairs  of  kamii<s.  The  iiar- 
poon  which  we  found  was  claimed  b\  one  of  the  na- 
tives, and  conse(juentl\'  turned  oxer  to  him.  ihe 
south  side  of  this  island  sliows  a  marked  co.Uraht 
to  its  northern  side.  Mere  the  xOi^'etation  is  hixii- 
riant,  the  whole  slope  of  the  hills  appearing;  ,L;reen, 
savt;  where  it  is  hidden  b\"  semi-p\ramidal  piles  ot 
rock,  out  of  which  project  perpendicular  walls  of  con- 
siderabk;  hei_L;ht.  In  thesi-  walls  the  l)urL;(»master 
L^ull  breeds  in  lar^'e  numbers,  and  lower  down,  in  the 
loose  rocks,  which  vary  in  si/e  trom  a  man's  head  to 
that  of  his  bod)',  the  little  auks  liaxc  tlu-ir  nests. 

.•///;'V/.s7  17///.  -W hen  all  was  read)'  for  a  start  this 
morning-,  we  found  our  friend  Ikwa  and  his  famil\-  had 
decitled  to  i^o  no  tartlu-r  with  us,  and  no  amount  of 
persuasion  on  our  part  could  persuatle  him  to  chaiiLiC 
his  mind.  .So  we  were  soon  on  our  journeN  without 
hitu.  .Shortly  after  leaviiiL;'  the  settlement,  we  i)asscd 
another  discharging;' glacier,  just  past  which  were  seen 
some  more  igloos.  .Stopjjint;"  here  to  make  some; 
tlrawin^s  and  to  take  measurements,  we  suddrid\-  re- 
membered that  some  deerskins  which  we  had  traded 
for  had  been  left  behind.  .So  we  returnt'd,  leavinij;- 
Astriip  to  make  the  drawings.  The  distance  beiuL^ 
only  about  a  mile,  we  were  soon  there  and  L;'ot  our 
two  skins,  and  then  we  thoui^ht  of  once  more  tr\in_L;' 
Ikwa.  This  time  h(;  seemed  (piite  willing',  and  it  was 
a  very  short  time  before  he  was  in  our  boat,  his  only 
additional  ba^'Li'ai^e  consistin^^  of  a  borrowed  tent,  and 
a  ])iece  of  narwhal  blubber  which  he  swuni;  ^n'er  the 
bow.  WhtMi  w'c  stopped  to  s^'et  Astriip,  Ikwa  w.Jked 
back  from  the  shore  a  little  distance,  and  soon  n.-turned 


,  I'M 


ii:;       Northward  oxer  the  "(ircat  Ice" 


'     M. 


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with  ail  I'^skiinn  sled,  which  we  also  placid  in  ihcliow, 
flcrc  also  we  r(j)lcnish('(l  our  water  hrcakcr  from  a 
stream,  and  W(,'re  once  more  on  our  wa\'.  As  there 
was  IK)  wind,  we  were  compelled  to  row.  in  which  ex- 
ercise we  made  Ikwa  tak<;  his  turn.  W'e  had  |)assetl 
throuL^h  the  Sound  dividiiiL;-  Xorthumherland  and  I  ler- 
bert  Islands  1)\-  live  i'.  m..  and  could  once  more  seer  the 


AMriip. 


Dr.  Coi.k. 


NATIVES   AND    FOREIGNERS. 

i'hoto.  liy  eil)S')ii. 

red  cliffs  in  McCormick  Hay  very  distinctly.  When 
about  two  miles  from  Herbert  Island,  we  fell  in  with 
apparentK'  the  same  belt  of  ice  we  had  encountered 
on  our  outward  journey,  also  the  walrus,  which  seemed 
cjuite  as  |)lentiful  as  they  were  before.  Ikwa  appar- 
ently bein^-  anxious  to  tackle  them,  I  steered  in  the 
direction  of  a  hummocky  cake  on  which  one  animal 
was  sleepin^f^.      Ikwa  waited  until  we  were  within  about 


Ro:it  Voyage  to  the  Islaiuls 


113 


ten  feel  of  lht;cakc.  when  h(,'  plun-vd  his  harpoon  into 
its  side.  At  the  same  instant,  a  shot  from  Aslriip's  ritU- 
practically  settled  it.  The  walrus  came  to  the  sin-face 
hut  once,  towed  us  a  little  distance,  aiul  then  the  line 


ESKIMO    VILLAGE    OF    KEATE.    NORTHUMBERLAND  ISLAND. 

I'hin  and  l'",lf\ali()ii,  Hrawn  liy  I-'.i'.  iii'l  A^triip. 

sudd(Miiy  tightened,  this  time  pointing  directU'  down. 
While:  this  excitf  nient  was  ^"oin^"  on  we  had  heen  e.x- 
chans^injr  ranch  Mil  shots  at  (Ulier  walrus,  intlictin^-  onl\- 
occasional  tlesh  wounds.      While  enL;-a;.4ed  in  pulling-  in 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


114       Nortlnvard  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

the  tU.'cul  one,  a  bijj^  hull  walrus,  a])partMUly  more  hold 
than  the  rest,  rose  within  a  few  feet  of  our  hoat.  and  I 
was  fortunate  in  lodj^nuL,^  a  h.  Ilet  from  m\'  rille  in  his 
vertehra,  killinL(  him  instantly.  Ikwa  fastened  his  other 
harpoon  point  in  him  and  we  so(mi  had  them  alonjj^- 
side  of  us.  Ikwa  proceeded  (as  I  at  first  supi)Ose(.l) 
to  hleed  them,  hut  I  soon  discovered  he  intended 
only  savinj^  the  heads.  I  let  him  cast  the  carcass 
of  the  hiir  one  adrift,  savinij^  only  the  ht^ad  and  ivory, 
hut  the  other  one  I  made  fast  to  the  stern,  antl 
we  commenced  what  proved  to  he  a  most  laborious 
task,  towinij^  it  home.  During;-  the  heat  of  the  excite- 
ment, Mane  had  heen  placed  in  tht'  hottom  of  tlu?  hoat, 
where  she  sat  huddled  up  with  her  two  children,  who 
were  cryini,^  at  the  top  of  their  luniks.  At  ahout 
seven  o'clock,  we  s^^ot  our  walrus,  and  at  4:30  a.m.  the 
next  morniuL^,  a  much-tired  crew  hauled  the  hody  of 
the  walrus  up  on  the  shore  at  Cape  Cleveland,  where 
it  was  left,  and  a  half  an  hour  later  wv.  arrixed  at  Red 
Cliff  Mouse,  after  an  ahsence  of  live  days,  none  the 
worse  for  wear,  havin^,^  enjoyed  a  \ery  pleasant  cruise. 

Lancdon  Ciinsox. 


;  } 


■  '( 


Rv.v  Ci.iiF  House,  North  Grkkm.and, 

Dec.  30,  1891. 

Sir  : — In  pursuance  to  your  instructions  of  August 
12,  1S91,  I  suhmit  to  you  the  followinL;  report  on  the 
duties  you  assii^ned  me  on  the  hoat  cruise  around  Hak- 
lu\t  and  Northumherland  Islands,  from  August  12th 
to  Aujj^ust  19th. 

Hakluyt  Island  presented  few  sii^Mis  of  Eskimo  hab- 
itation. 

We  found  fox-traps  all  alonjj;-  the  south-west  coast, 
but  only  one  was  set. 

Near  the  south  point,  just  below  the  little  auk 
loomeries,   I   found  another  place  where  two  tupeks 


Boat  X^ovciij-c  to  the  Islands 


"5 


had  been  placed  amid  a  lar^-e  l)ed  of  beautiful  ^reen 
moss. 

'rh(;re  were  several  places  where  stones  had  been 
arrantrcd  as  fireplaces,  shewn  by  the;  blackened  stones. 

The  sole  food  of  these  peo|)le  whih-  here-  must  have 
been  either  birds  or  hare.  I  found  no  lari^e  bones, 
such  as  sc;al  or  walrus.  P)ird  feathers  and  bones  were 
scattered  in  e\-ery  direction.  i  found  one  small  cache 
of  little  auks,  evidentl\-  ([uite  old.  'I"h(\-  were  consitl- 
erably  decomposetl,  and  covered  with  the  L^erms  of 
decomj)ositi()n. 

Lines  of  stones  of  nearly  ecjual  size  were  stood  on 
end  in  a  regular  order  on  se\cM-al  places  at  ele\ations 
of  not  less  than  six  lumdred  feet. 

I''ox-traps  and  these  h.are-traps  we  also  saw  all  over 
the  south-west  coast  of  Northumberland  Islaiul.  j^ut 
few  of  the  fox-traps  were  set,  and  none  of  the  hare- 
trai)s  hatl  lines  on. 

Many  of  these;  tox-traps  were  i)laced  on  hi^h  rocks 
below  loomeries  when    birds  would  h(;  ajn  to  li.^ht. 

The  first  intlication  of  Eskimo  habitation  that  we 
discovered  on  Xorthumberlantl  Island  was  in  a  bay 
antl  to  the  west  of  a  lari^e  L;lacier.  Hetween  the  villai^-e 
antl  the  i^dacier  was  (piite  a  lar^-e  stream  of  water. 

The  deserted  village  was  m.,.J.e  up  of  two  stone 
ii^loos,  six  tloo;-houses,  and  ei^ht  bird  and  blubber 
caches.  All  entrances  of  both  tht;  igloos  and  tloo- 
houses  opened  directl\-  on  the  south.  The  roofs  of 
the  ii^ioos  ami  the  /osc/nw  wen;  either  removed  or 
fallen  in.  The  i^eneral  mode  of  construction  was  pre- 
ciseh'  the  same  as  others  that  w(.'  examinetl.  but  lari^re 
bones,  such  as  whale,  walrus,  and  narwhal,  skulls, 
scapuhe.  and  vertebrae,  formed  a  larije  part  of  their 
walls. 

The  measurements  of  these  dwelliiiL^s  will  appear 
in  Mr.  Astriip's  report,  which  accomj)anies  this. 


'  M 


n 


! 

1    ' 

1 

'*  i      • 

1 

r      i 

( 

( 

«.' 


I 


ii6       Northwarti  oxer  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

W(j  found  no  L(ni\('s.  hiil  lar^c  heaps  of  hones  and 
dcljris,  niosll\-  those  of  \vah"iis  and  seal. 

'Idle  next  Inniiit  houses  we  found  in  a  larL,^e  hay. 
Hc;re  we  found  three  stone  igloos,  two  with  th(  roofs 
removed,  and  one  rccentl)'  tixed  for  winter  liahUation. 


TENT    VILLAGE,    NORTHUMBERLAND    ISLAND. 

I'lan  and  lOlcvation.  Drawn  1)\   I'.iviml  A-tiiip. 


When  we  first  saw  these  igloos  from  a  cHstance.  we 
could  st;e  no  si^ns  of  life,  hut  as  we  ai)j)roached  nearer 
and  were  ahout  to  land,  wc;  saw  a  man  coming  down 
over  some  hummocks,  at  a  short  distance. 

His  oeneral  apj^earance  a|)|)roachetl  nearer  that  of 
a  wild  animal  than  a  human  heiiii;.      He  expressed  no 


.*'V,. 


li 


Boat  X'oya^c  to  the  Islands  117 

fear.  Init  camr  ri^ht  down  and  h('l|)(.'d  us  with  oiir 
hoat.  and  smiled,  and  talkt-d  for  niimitcs  at  a  time. 
W  c  (jf  course  knew  not  a  word  of  what  he  was  sa\- 
uv^.  Soon  a  woman  with  two  children  also  a])|)eared 
on  the  scene.  We  had  liuich,  and  offered  tliem  some 
of  it.  1  hey  seemed  pleased  at  our  generosity,  ate 
what  we  i-.ave  them,  but  ai)i)arent]y  did  not  enjoy  any 
of  our  fooJs  e.\cei)t  the  coffee  and  biscuits  ;  and  this 
was  also  true  of  the  i)eo|)le  of  the  next  settlement. 

After  this  jjleasant  entertainment.  I  tried  to  c()n\c\' 
to  them  an  idea  of  what  I  wanted.  1  had  alrc-ad\-  ex- 
amined th(;  stone  ii^loos.  i)ut  found  there  absolutely 
nothing-  of  value  to  us. 

1  hv.  woman  disappeared  for  a  half-hour,  then  re- 
turned with  a  sealskin.  .She  be^an  inuiiediatel)-  to 
make  a  pair  of  kamiks.  for  which  I  ^ave  a  knife.  ' 

The  man  said  tiiat  that  was  all  the  skin  he  had,  and 
the  ai)i)earance  of  his  clothes  and  those  of  his  wife 
seemed  to  bear  out  his  statement. 

\\  hde  the  woman  was  makin^  the  kamiks.  (dbson 
visited  the  loomerii-s  with  the  man,  and  found  that  he 
had  a  tu})ek  just  below  them. 

Before  we  went  to  sleep.  I  tried  to  tell  them  that  we 
were  to  sleep  there  once,  then  we  wanted  them  to 
come  in  our  boat  witii  us. 

I  he  next  daw  I  examintnl  the  igloos,  'i'here  were  two 
natural  hreplaces  where  the  soot  on  the  stones  showed 
that  they  had  used  these  places  for  thai  purpos.-. 

1  he  usual  collection  of  bonc's  and  debris  surrounded 
these  stone  i^ioos.  Tlie  one  fixed  up  for  winter  had 
been  cleaned  out  thoroui^hly.  re-covered  with  moss. 
and  linht  stones  on  the  outside  of  the  moss. 

There  were  a  number  of  ImhI  and  blubber  caclies 
to  the  rear  of  each  of  the  housi's.  but  no  d()L,'--h()uses. 
'Ihe  caches  were  all  empty  but  one,  which  contained 
a  small  amount  of  blubber. 


u 


ii8       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice 


^  1 1 


I 


I 

) 


(    ;' 


i 


Jf 


J 


I  found  tlircc  L^ravcs  about  lifty  \anls  to  the:  rear  of 
the  ij^loos,  hut  the  hones  were  so  much  destro)etl 
that  one  could  liardl\-  find  them. 

As  we  L^ot  in  our  hoat  and  read)'  to  start  off,  tliey 
(h(l  not  seem  inchned  to  come  with  us,  l)ut  after 
a  htlle  u'entle  persuasion  the  nian  i^ot  liis  kayak,  the 
woman  and  her  chikh'en  _L;()t  in,  then  the  man  went 
after  liis  dn^^.  W'e  now  tlioui^lit  that  we  had  these 
people  secure,  antl  would  brins^  them  home,   but  he 


^vBIIK**' 


:-^«-''*«^. 


'  '"^rt^y.i'^-^j't'i.-.^  «H«<»- 


JOSEPHINE    GLACIER,   NORTHUMBERLAND   ISLAND. 

soon  told  US  that  there  were  more  "  Osikees  "  around 
the  cape. 

As  we  _L;'ot  arountl  the  cape,  we  saw  a  tupek,  and  a 
man  in  a  kayak  came  out  to  meet  us. 

This  kayaker  seemetl  more  than  pleased  to  see  us  ; 
his  face  was  all  ai^low  with  smik:s.  Me  piloted  us  to 
the  settlement,  which  had  by  this  time  all  assembled, 
the  men  on  the  beach,  the  women  and  children  in  a 
row  on  the  rocks  in  front  of  the  first  tu];ek. 

Our  friends  from  the  other  s(,:ttk;ment  left  us  here. 
\\\;  had  lunch  and  a^^ain  shared  part  of  it  with  these 


K    t: 


Boat  \'()va«'c  to  the  Ishiiuls 


1 19 


•H'(),)lc.  ()iic()f  ihc  in<ii  L^ot  d  l)()ilc(l  l)iir^(>in;istcr 
null,  and  offcrctl  it  to  iis. 

AfUT  lunch,  I  took  a  census  of  the  \illaL;c.  the 
j)oi)ulation  of  which  nunihcrcd  thirteen. 

I'lach  man  possessed  a  ka\ak,  a  har|)oon.  a  kinic. 
and  a  l)ird  net;  and  two  possessed  hows  ami  arrows. 
a  number  of  rolls  of  line  and  narwhal  sinew.  Their 
hluhher  and  meat  su|)pl)'  seemed  to  he  all  cast  in  one 
L^eneral  heap,  the  lean  meat  beini;-  on  lines  to  dry. 


,.    r^2nE?RB 

itj 

S^"^**!^:,. 

ik^ 

« 

1 

*• 

■■*'* 

1 

^&iiukteiL^^^^^^^^^^^II^B 

WESTERN  GLACIER,  NORTHUMBERLAND  ISLAND. 

Tile  lack  of  fe;ir  in  these;  men  and  their  confuleiice 
in  white  men  were  cK'ar!}'  shewn  the  first  nii^ht  we 
campeil  tliere.  .\t  about  ten  o'clock,  all  the  men 
suddenK'  started  out  in  their  kayaks  after  narwhal, 
leaving"  th.eir  wom  mi  and  children  unprotected.  At 
about  tix'e  o'clock,  the\-  returned  with  a  narwlial  in  low. 

I  noticed  here  what  1  ha\e  npeatedl)- noticed  since, 
that  the\"  ha\'e  fre(|uent  and  proloni^cd  hemorrhas^es 
from  the  nose,  due,  I  think,  in  most  cases,  to  excite- 
ment or  acti\e  i)h\sical  exercise. 

There    are    two    \ery    i)rominent     and     important 


ms 


\l, 


M    ( 


1^ 


U 


'i 


1 20       Northward  o\cr  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

physioloi^ical  characteristics  that  attracted  my  atten- 
tion lure.  These  seem  to  he  pecuhar  to  these  |)eo|)le. 
Idle  first  a  \"er\'  tree  and  ra|>id  suhciitaneous  capillar}' 
circulation.  1  he  second-  a  com|)leie  en\-elo|)ment  of 
areolar  tissue,  not  unlike  the  seal  or  walrus. 

dhe  care  of  their  huntiuL;  outlit,  the  attention  to 
details,  the  econonu'  ol  wooil  and  iron,  were  \-er\' 
marked  in  this  xilla^f. 

'l'he\-  all  toKl  us  that  the)-  hcaril  the  whistle  of  tlu; 
A7A-. 

We  tried  to  infoiiii  these  people  where  our  camp 
was,  and  that  we  had  pleiUx' ol  wood  and  kni\'es. 

As  we  were  ahout  to  leaxc,  we  tried  to  jx-rsuade 
Mychotia  to  come  with  us,  hut  he  lu-sitated  consider- 
al)l\".  I'inall)-  M\chotia  and  AnL;<)dol)lachu  followetl 
us  ill  their  ka\aks,  Ikwa  and  his  wife  evidentK'  mis- 
luulerstootl  us,  and  did  not  intend  to  come  any  farther. 

We  went  as  i'ar  as  the  winter  settlement  of  these 
peoi)le,  when  we  discoxcred  that  we  had  left  some  of 
our  thiiiLi's  behind. 

Mr.  Astriip  went  ashore  here  to  take  the  measure- 
ments of  the  igloos,  while  the  rest  of  us  went  hack  to  i^et 
what  we  had  left.      In  so  doinj^',  our  ka\akers  K'ft  us. 

I  a^ain  tried  to  jjcrsuade  our  lornu-r  friend  to  come 
with  us.  1  le  hesitated,  hut  suddenK'  made  up>  his  mind, 
took  his  helon^in^s  and  all  he  could  borrow,  put  them 
in  our  boat,  and  came  with  us  with  his  t;miil\'. 

As  W(;  reached  the  i)lace  marked  5  on  liie  map,  we 
saw  two  stone  ii^ioos,  but  did  not  dare  to  s^o  ashon^ 
to  examine  these  for  fear  of  losing"  our  j)ri/e.  the 
Mskimo  famil)-. 

These  ij^loos  are  also  situated  in  a  small  ba)'.  One. 
is  a  double  and  the  other  a  single  i^ioo,  both  deserted. 
Its  nati\e  name  is  Ka\ati. 

Ikwa  told  us  before  he  came  in  our  boat  that  h.is 
wife   and   children   would   irct   seasick,    bu     when    we 


K, 


Hoai  \'()\a«'c  to  the  Islands 


I  21 


cTossrd  the  Sound  she  and  the  chiiilrcn  wciU  aslccj) 
-and  in  this  condition  \vc  hrouL^iit  thcni  satiK  to 
Red  Cliff.  Kcsix'ctfully  submitted. 

I-'.     A.     CnuK.    M.I).. 

S/irQf(yn  to  Xoi-di-drcctiliDid  /:  vf>(t////(>!/. 

R.  I-:.  iM.AKv.  r.  .s.  X. 


I  liii-ciii ,  (  iilix  1 


V-i  riiii. 


AT   CAPE   CLEVELAND    WITH    THE    WALRUS. 


DKSCKH'TION    OF    IIAKl.rVl'    ISLAM*    !;\-     N' I'.kl  lol.  II'. 


Hakluyt  Island  is  al)out  three  or  four  miles  lon^j;-, 
north-wt.'st  to  south-(  ast,  and  a  mile  wide  in  widt^st 
part,  separated  from  Northumherland  Island  1)\-  a 
strait  apparentK'  about  two  miles  wide  lli^hest 
point,  al)OUt  i^^20  feet  elevation,  is  about  two  miles 
from  west  end.  and  on  north  side  of  island.  Island 
ascends  from  west  end  1)\-  a  L^n'adual  slope  till  reach- 
ing- hiiij-hest  point.  On  top  is  a  table-land  j)robabl\-  a 
mile  louL^ 


!•» 


U  ' 


]l ' 


]  i 


122       Northward  over  the  "(n'cat  Ice" 


r  '  \' 


It  als!)  slopes  f^roin  iiorlh  to  south.  Clilts  on  north 
side  near  ciiil,  while  on  south  side  there  is  low  laiul, 
the  cliffs  hciiiL;  farther  hack  ami  not  so  ])recii)itous. 

On  cast  part  of  island  is  an  indentation  ;  at  farthest 
inland  i)art  is  highest  |)oint  on  island.  The  sides  of 
the  indentation  are  very  precii)ilous  clilfs.  where  L;uil- 
leniots  llock  in  thrones. 

.\|)proa(hin^'  the  end  of  island  towards  Xorthuni- 
herland,  the  ground  becomes  steeper  than  on  north- 
west side.  A  cairn  about  four  teet  hiidi  is  huill  about 
a  ([uarter  or  halt-mile  Ironi  this  coast.  I  here  is  also  a 
cairn  on  the  table-land.  When  on  sunnnit  tiiere  was 
a  ver\'  brisk  wind  and  the  ground  set med  to  shake. 

About  two  miles  from  summit,  on  south  side  of 
island,  ^oo  or4')0  \ards  Irom  south-east  extremil)'.  arc- 
two  peaks.  probabK'  ol  basalt.  1  he)'  are  about  150 
\ards  apart,  and  \isible  lor  soru'  distance  awa\'  Irom 
island.  (  )ne  is  accessible,  and  about  c).So  U-ri  W\'j^h. 
as  shown  b\-  aneroid  barometer.  The  other  is  about 
50  feel  hii^h,  and  is  inaccessible.      It  is  nearer  the  coast. 

Apj)arentl\",  !;;l<icier  llows  down  from  north  to  south 
part  of  island,  almost  di\  idiiii;"  islanil.  (  )n  the  table- 
land at  south-east  part  ol  island  is  much  ^rass  and 
flowers,  about  So  or  ic^o  acres,  a  veritable  llowi'r- 
_L;;u\len,  aj)|)earinL;'  \'er\'  much  like  sp'riiiL;-.  Near  b\\ 
about  So  \ards  Irom  cairn,  was  a  lo\-lra|)  baited  with 
oUl-smellin^'  seal  blubber.  Returniii',;  to  camp,  I  kept 
mostl\-  on  southern  part  ol  island,  ^oin^-  over  man\' 
loose  stones,  antl  haxin^'  water  flowing'  beneath  often- 
times. AftiM*  returning-  about  a  mile  Irom  the  twin 
peaks,  I  reached  th(;  bottom  of  a  hill,  anil  about  three 
(juarters  of  a  mile  more  l)r()UL;"ht  me  to  the  glacier,  at 
an  elevation  of  about  300  feet.  About  a  mile  or 
more  of  walking-  brouL^ht  mv.  to  comparativ(.;l\-  level 
rocks,  from  which  place  the  ground  was  somewhat 
level  the  remainder  of  the  distance  to  camp. 


<  i 


:']    I 


i  1 


Hoat  \'()\a"'c  to  tlic  Islaiuls 


On  tlic  tal)l('-lan(l  near  cciUrc  of  island  were  wliat 
appcarcil  to  Uiwr  .u  one  linic  hccii  Eskimo  sloiic; 
huts,  l)iil  at  this  time  stones  fallen.  Also  two  empty 
mound  remains  of  a  linplace.  Man\'  of  rocks  are  red 
and  white,  L;r.inite  and  (piart/  abouiulinLi'  on  the  isl- 
anil.      In  many  placc:s  roeks  are  coxcnHl  with    hird- 


IKWA   CUTTING    UP    THE    WALRUS. 

lime.  Near  our  camj)  there  were  luin'e  rocks,  some 
KinL;-  in  such  positions  as  to  altord  a  natural  siulter 
to  man  or  heast. 

Water  luM'e  was  continuallx"  llowin^-  down  the  rock 
to  the  sea,  and  it  matle  an  excellent  place  for  a  cam|). 

On  the  return  from  other  end  of  island,  two  foxes. 
prohahK'  \"er\'  nouiil;'.  hein^"  attracted  hy  a  i)iece  ol 
blubber  I  had  taken  from  the  fox-lraj).  came  within 
ei^ht  feet  of  me.  so  if  rocks  had  not  cox'cred  the 
Lrround  1  miLrht  have  caught  one.     llad  ncn'illewith  me. 

'remjjerature  on  summit  40",  like  a  sprinL,^  day,  but 
at  one  time  rain.  J.  M.  \'i;rii<)i;i1'. 


'  m 


I 


ciiAni-k  i\'. 


r.oAi    .\M>  >i  i;i)(.i:    rKirs. 


Oi  K  lAii  K,|,,N  r,)  I  hi;  Hi  ai.  m|.  MiC'dUMirk  Il\v— A  Si.KiK.i:  Tartv 
Mill  Ms  II)  nil    l.Ni  AMI  I.  I  — liii:  AiTiMpi    |,i  Mam,  an  AiUANcr,  Srriiv 

1)|  I  Ml     I'"\||  s— 1!(.\1     [(ilKNI  VS    in    Ml   K(   lll^iiN    Sol    N|i     \N|)    Ai   Kn^s    I  1 1 1.    \\\y 

— Kn'Imno  r.AiTi.i;  Willi  a  S(  iiiMii  (,]  Waikis— Oik  1'ik^i  Smim.i  I.hk. 
m:v  ikom  Rid  c:i,ii  i  —  I'm-,  I'.iuni  m  w  Fci  hkkc— |)i:i  u  in  1'iim\_ 
M  \NV  \\ri\i>.  Visit  is— Iiikik  Snow  Hi  m  I<i:\kiii  akih  nhoiu  II<iisk 
—  (  »ru  I!i;n;iir  X  \ii\  I    SiA\isiKis>—||ii    Winiii,  Xk.iii    I'.ni  m  hs  is. 


I  « 


'1    I 


•t' 


1    i 

If  ir  I  ^ 


sU 


i>  'I 


chapti-:r  i\'. 


liOAT    AM)    Si.i;i)(iK     IKIl'S. 


E 
u 
He 


T 


m-:    first   (1; 


.f 


(i;i)s  ot    .S('])tctn- 

I)cr  were  vrvy  l)iis\-  ones, 

ill  i)rcj)ar!iio-   (or   tin-  first 

sledge    journey   upon  ilic  Inland 

f-^^  ^^WK  '*""*'•  ^  intended  to  start  in  the 
■jyi^Wfc  ^^^'^n'  /'V^^:r  lor  the  liead  of 
^^^  iR  McCorniick  Uay  on  the  morning- 
J^j^  of  W'echleschiy,  September  2(1, 
l)ut  on  that  morning-  the  east 
wind  was  whisth'n^-  out  of  the 
bay.  raising-  such  a   sea   that  the 

v()ya.L^(,'  would    haxc    meant    the 

thorouo-h  wettui^i,-  of  the  partv  and  e(iuipnient.  I 
therefore  postponed  the  trip  till  the  wind  should 
motlerate,  and  we-  were  compelled  to  wait  till  l- 
mornini^r,  September  4th. 

I'riday  came,  briohi  and  clear.      I  took  Ikwa  with 
us  and   the  entire   party  excei)t  Matt,  who   remained 
Coffee  was  serveil  at  five  a.m..  so  that 

I  he  Mai-y  Peary  was 
"■  was  react\-.  and  wind  and   tide 


ru 


ay 


at  the  house. 

we  mi^ht  make  an  early  start. 

loaded  and  e\-er\'thin: 

were  favourable.'whenit  was  suddenly  discovered  that 

the  boat  s  rudder  was  missin-       It  had  been  left  where 

the  tide  floated  it  away.      X'ainlv  it  was  sou-ht  for  up 

and  down  th(;  beach.      I  set  to  work  to  tit  the  I'\u(h\ 

rudder  to  the  Mary  Peary  and  at  eleven  a.m    we  -ot 


127 


ili  !   i 


(i  I 


\l 


128       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

uikUm-  \va\'.  ['or  a  mile  or  two,  a  favoiiriiiL;  wind  lulpccl 
us  alontr,  then  it  failed,  and  the  oars  were  run  out,  but 
the  tide  was  now  a^^ainst  us  and  we  made  slow  projj^ress, 
At  three  p.m.,  we  landed  just  below  the  first  hang- 
inL,r  o-lacier,  about  ei^ht  miles  east  of  K  I  Cliff  House. 
Its  massive  front,  about  one  hundreil  feet  hii^-h,  risinir 
and  fallino-  with  the  undulatinL^^  surface  of  the  slope 
on  which  it  restetl,  liunL,^  far  down  the  hillside.  Here 
we  prepared  lunch,  but  just  as  the  tea  was  boiled,  we 


"THE   EAST   WIND   WAS   WHISTLING   OUT   OF   THE   BAY." 

Sun  Glacier  in  the  Distance. 

were  compelled  to  hurry  aboard  and  push  out  from 
the  shore,  to  prevent  the  falling;  tide  from  leavin<^  us 
fast  on  the  flats,  which  would  have  delaved  us  for 
hours.  Once  outside  the  shoal  water,  the  grapnel 
was  thrown  out  till  w^e  finished  our  meal. 

Gettins^  under  way,  we  pulled  ai^ainst  a  brisk  head- 
wind, and,  when  near  the  head  of  the  bay,  saw  a  herd 
of  reindeer  feeding-  on  a  sji^rassy  slope.  1  landed 
Astriip  to  ^^et  a  shot  at  them,  while  the  boat  went  on 


X' 


+ 


Boat  and  Sledge  Trips 


I2g 


in  search  of  a  cairi))iM_--|)lacc.  At  th<.'  head  of  the 
bay  I  found  a  continuous  sea-wall  of  boulders  parallel 
with  and  about  one  hundre'd  \artls  from  the  shore. 
which,  across  the  entire  head  of  the  Ikiv,  was  a  stccj). 
L^^ravelly  bank  six  to  twent\-  feet  hi^h,  strewn  with 
boulders.  Outside  the  sea-wall  the  water  was  deep, 
but  the  presence  of  boulders  showiuLj^  above  water  in- 
side indicated  very  shallow  depths  there. 

PulliuL;  across  the  head  of  the  ba)-,  past  the  mouth 
of  a  muddy  glacial  river  enterini^-  nearly  in  th(;  ce-ntre, 
a  narrow  opening-  in  the  sea-wall  was  found.  I  steered 
the  boat  throu_L,di  this  and  beachetl  her,  at  se\en 
P.M.,  where  the  bank  was  lowest.  We  were  nearl)-  at 
the  north-east  aniile  of  the  bav. 

We  had  just  carried  our  sui)j)lies  up  the  bank  and 
kindled  a  fire  in  the  oil  stove,  when  several  shots  were 
heard  from  Astriip.  Dr.  Cook  and  Ikwa  started  with 
their  ritles  to  join  in  the  sport,  leaving-  Ciibson  and 
Verhoeff  with  me,  Mrs.  Peary  having-  wandered  up 
the  valley  soon  after  we  launched.  As  both  these 
men  had  been  up  nearly  all  the  niu;ht  l^efore,  I  told 
them  to  _<rct  into  their  baL,^s  and  I  would  stand  watch. 
HobblinL(  about  as  best  I  could.  I  rii^i^^ed  up  the  bijr 
tarpaulin  as  an  impromptu  "  tupic  "  or  tent.  About 
midnight,  the  huntino^  party  returned,  reportin^^  one 
deer  shot.  W^e  ate  our  supper  lyini^  or  sitting-  ujoon 
the  i^round  about  the  little  oil  stove,  without  dis- 
comfort. The  thermometer  reL,dstered  +i6"  \\  I 
named  our  restino-i)lace  Camp  Tooktoo  (the  Eskimo 
word  for  deer),  and  here  I  wrote  my  instructions  for 
the  Inland  Ice  party,  appointini^  Astriip,  the  most  ex- 
perienced snow  and  ice  traveller  of  my  party,  leader 
of  the  little  expedition. 

The  object  of  the  party,  consistiuL]^  of  Astriip.  Gib- 
son and  \'erhoeff.  was  to  establish  a  depot  of  ptnnmi- 
can,  biscuit,  and  milk,  across  Prudhoe  Land   near  the 


t 


t 


I30 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


t 


>iifi 


.i  'I 


I      !. 


southern  aiii^U;  of  the  I  lumboldt  (ilacicr.  This  depot 
was  f(jr  the  use  of  my  aclvanci;  party  of  ne-xt  sprinL(, 
and  was  to  be  located  preferably  upon  a  nunatak  if 
such  could  be  found  in  the  neighbourhood. 

Astriip  and  his  part\-  were;  to  have  ample  rations 
for  twenty  days  for  their  own  use,  and  I  thought  they 
could  probably  advance  the  depot  one  hundred  miles 
in  this  time — /,  c\,  cover  the  same  distance  that  I  had 
in  'S6. 

Saturday  mornin!^^  after  our  first  nii^ht  in  camp, 
Astriip  went  up  the  slopes  to  the  ice-cap  to  select  the 
best  route  for  carrying  up  the  provisions.     The  rest  of 


FOETAL   GLACIERS. 

South  Sliorc  McCurmick  Day. 


the  party  went  after  the  deer  killed  the  night  before, 
and  returned  with  it  antl  another.  Astriip  returned  in 
about  six  hours  A'ith  a  favourable  report.      He  estim- 


a^ 


I,'',  ) 


n 


I   -ri 


132 


Northward  over  the  "  Great  Ice 


ated  the  tlistance  from  the  camp  to  the  ctli^c  of  the 
icc'-caj)  at  less  tlian  four  miles. 

That  nii^ht  it  looked  very  threateninix  down  at  the 
mouth  of  the;  hay,  and  Sunday  morninL;-  was  raw  and 
disaL^reeahle,  the  outer  half  of  the  hay  hidtU'n  in  fall- 
inirsnow.  'Flu;  Inland-Icti  j)arty  antl  Dr.  Cook  started 
up  the  hluffs  with  loatls  varying-  from  fifty-two  to 
tifty-ei^ht  j)()unds.  They  returned  in  four  or  five 
hours,  and  1  had  the  hoat  turned  hottom  up  and  sent 
them  into   their  bairs  under  it.     About    four  I'.m.,    I 


i  *J 


MJ 


'i  ^ 


I'l 


FIRST   HANGING   GLACIER. 


turned  them  out  and  started  them  up  the  bluffs 
with  a  second  load.  Returnin^r  from  this  trip  not 
loner  before  midniy^ht,  thorouj^hly  tired,  they  all  turned 
in  under  the  boat.  Meanwhile,  Ikwa  had  obtained 
another  deer.  Throujj^hout  the  day  it  snowed  at  the 
entrance  of  the  bay. 

Monday  was  a  repetition  of  Sunday's  stormy  weather. 
I  let  the  boys  sleep  during  the  morning,  and  not  until 


Boat  and  Slctli;'L'  Trips 


ele'ven  a.m.  did  1  tt-ll  them  to  i^ct  their  hist  h)a(ls 
ready,  break  camp,  and  i)iit  the;  l)()at  in  tht;  water  for 
my  return  to  Retl  Chit  House.  H\-  the  tinn;  this  was 
don(,'  and  the  boys  had  filled  themselv(.'S  with  venison, 
roasted  at  a  fireplace  which  I  had  imj)roviseil  under 
the  hank,  with  an  old  box  for  fuel,  it  was  ni-arU'  four 
P.M.,  and  the  wind  was  whisthiiL;  o\'er  our  heails  and 
down  the  bay  at  the  lixcliest  rate.  Dr.  Cook  went 
with  the  three  Inland-Ice  men  to  carry  a  UkuI,  and  I 
told  him  to  return  as  soon  as  possible,  so  that  we 
could  start  for  the  house  and  i^'et  out  over  tlu;  d\ke 
of  rocks  before  the  tide  f(."ll  too  low.  Hardly  had  the 
four  men,  with  their  loads,  disappeareil  over  the  ridi^e, 
when  the;  excitement  bei^an.  I  was  a  cripjjle  hobblinj^ 
around  on  crutches,  and  had  with  me,  l)esides  Mrs. 
Peary,  only  an  I^skimo  who  untlerstood  no  word  of 
Enj^lish. 

Before  startini^  away,  the  boys  had  placed  the  l)oat 
in  the  water,  antl  had  carrit'd  the  masts  and  sails  down 
and  put  them  into  her.  She  was  now  lyiiiL;'  at  the 
foot  of  the  bank  in  front  of  our  camp,  fastened  b)-  the 
painter  tied  round  a  stone.      We  commenced  stowintr 


th( 


e  various  articles  al)Out  camjj  in  lier  so  as 


to  h 


ive 


cverythinL(  in  readiness  to  start  for  Red  Cliff  as  soon 
as  Dr.  Cook  came  down  from  the  ])luffs.  While  we 
were  ens^aLjed  in  this  work  and  were  all  three  u[)  by 
the  camp   pickini^  up  a  few  last  thinos,  a  furious  and 


sudden   sq 


u 


all 


swen 


.t   d 


own 


th 


e  valle\',  and   catchuiLr 


the  boat  drove  her  several  yards  away  from  the  shore, 
draeifine  her  stone  anchor  after  her.      As  luck  would 


'.->?> 


have  it,  also,  Ikwa's  kayak  had  been  tied  to  the  boat, 
and  it,  too,  was  bevond  our  reach.      The  masts  havinLJ" 


)een  s 


tepped 


in- 


th 


e  bovs,  as 


I 


.earet 


thi 


IS  operation 


would  be  rather  difficult  for  Mrs.  Peary  and  Ikwa. 
the  boat  offered  considerable  surface  to  the  wind,  and 
each  succeeding;  i^ust,  sweepinjj;  down  the  valley  with 


1        .,        ', 


'.'^r 


■  I 


134       Northwiird  over  the  "(ireat  Ice" 

the  fury  ihat  <)iil\-  arctic  s(|iialls  from  ihc  ice-cap  can 
allaiii,  was  Liradiiall)'  drixiiiL;  the-  boat,  anclior  ami  all, 
farther  and  lartlu-r  from  shore.  If  the  hoat  passed 
across  the  narrow  hiL^oon  between  the  shon;  and  the 
d\ke  of  tile  glacier  moraine,  1  knew  her  anchor  would 
han_L;'  like  a  i)lummet  at  the  vm\  of  the  painter,  and 
the  l)oat,  with  nothinn'  to  hold  her,  would  (lisai)pear 
through  the;  driving'  snow,  to  he  dashed  to  pi(;ces  on 
the  rocks  of  the  northern  short:  of  the  bay,  or  >lriven 
out  into  mid-sound. 


PACKING   SUPPLIES  TO   THE    ICE-CAP. 

The  i)rosj)ect  was  not  a  pleasant  one,  as  the  boat 
had  on  l)oard  i:ver\thinn',  and  the  lifteen-mile  journey 
to  Red  Cliff  I  louse  alonj^-  the  rock}' shore  would  have 
been  a  work  of  days  for  me  in  my  crippled  condition. 
Althoui^h  the  water  in  the  lai^oon  was  now  onl\'  per- 
haps waist-deep,  Ikwa,  with  the  well-known   Eskimo 


J     ! 


Boat  and  Slctli^c  Trips 


3d 


dislikr  for  this  i-UmiiciU,  ri-fuscd  to  l^o  into  it.  hut  in- 
stead, (Mich'avourcd,  with  his  rawhide  wah'us  hnc.  to 
lasso  the  lioat  and  thus  drai;  her  in.  Unfortunately 
the  distance  was  too  L^reat.  and  cast  after  cast  of  the 
line  was  made,  without  success.  The  boat  all  this  tinu; 
was  heiuL^  L:;-radually  dra^'j^ed  farther  and  farther  away 
from  the  shore. 


DASHING    UPON   THE   WALRUS. 

Suddenly  the  idea  occurred  to  Mrs.  Peary  of  j)ut- 
tini^^  on  the  Doctor's  lon^-lej^ri^red  rubber  boots,  and 
clad  in  these  she  rushed  out  into  th{;  water  as  far  as 
possible,  and,  after  twoorthrcn;  unsuccessful  attempts, 
was  fortunate  in  oettin^-  a  loop  of  th(;  line  round  the 
stem  of  the  whale-boat,  which  she-  and  Ikwa  then 
drai^i^cd  in  to  the  shore  and  made  fast.  Not  until 
this  was  done  did  I  learn  that  the  presence  of  hol(!s 
in  each  of  the  Doctor's  boots  had  rendered  them  no 


136 


X(irth\vard  oxer  the  "Circat  Ice" 


tl 


u 


■'  1   I* 


l':'i^ 


:      I 


protection  whatcxiT.  and  that  she  had  practicall)'  Ix'cn 
staiKhn^  there  nearly  \vaist-<h'e|)  in  tlie  free/inL;'  \v;;ti'r. 
with  the  snow  whisthn!:  al)oiit  lier,  while  she  lassoed 
the  truant  boat. 

After  the  l)oat  had  heen  reco\-ered  ar.d  the  wind  had 
apparentK'  suhsidetl,  we  all  ^ot  into  the  hoat  and  1  let 
her  drop  oiitsitle  the  laj^onn  so  as  not  to  he  cauL^hl  in  it 
1)\'  the  falling'  tid(\  Scarcelx',  howe\  er.  were  we  in  deep 
water,  where  the  anchor  could  he  of  no  use,  than  the 
wind  hll  upon  us  a^ain  and  droxc  us  out  into  the 
l)a\.  1  tried  to  ha\e  Ikwa  step  the  foremast  ai^ain 
(l)oth  masts  haxiiiL;'  heen  unste|)ped  when  the  hoat 
was  dra^u'ed  ashore),  so  1  could  l;cI  sail  on  her;  hut 
after  two  or  three  unsuccessful  attempts,  in  one;  of 
which  he  let  the  mast  fall  across  m\-  broken  le^',  the 
eltort  was  jL^ix'en  up.  and  he  and  I  settled  down  to  the 
oars,  with  Mrs,  l\'ary  at  the  tiller,  and  dexoted  our  ut- 
most energies  to  workinL;-  the  hoat  into  the  comparatixi! 
shelter  of  the  cliffs  ^uardinL^-  tlu;  c^astern  side  of  the  Sun 
Cilacier,  and  then,  inch  1)\'  inch,  we  crept  back  to  the 
shore  until  we  could  drop  our  anchor  just  inside  the 
moraine.;  chke.  I  shall  not  soon  forget  m\-  feeling-  of 
relief  when  I  found  that  we  were  secure  after  our 
three  hours'  strui^^U;  with  the  _L;"ale.  Those  who  have 
not  had  the  experience;  will  j)rol)al)l\'  have  dit^iculty 
in  understantliuL;'  the  sensations  of  one  who,  havinj^ 
alwa)s  been  accustomed  not  only  to  feel  the  utmost 
confidence  in  his  own  jjowers  to  extricate  himself  from 
a  disa^Teeable  predicament,  but  also  to  feel  that  he  had 
a  reserve;  force  which  could  be;  devoteel  to  the  assist- 
ance of  e)thers,  tlnels  himself  ne)t  only  helpless  to 
assist  those  near  and  dear  to  him,  but  almost  entirely 
unable  to  take  care  of  himself. 

W'e  were  just  be^innino'  te)  oet  \ery  chilly  when  we 
hearel  the  I  )e)cte)r's  she^ut  fre)m  the  bank  above  lis, 
and  looking-  up  through   the   blinding  snow,  saw  him 


Hoat  and  Slcdi^c  Trips 


137 


rcturnini^^  from  the  Mult.  I  Ic  was  sprcdily  on  hoard, 
'riii'ii.  lioistiiiL,^  the  Marv  /Vcirv's  foresail,  w  r  went  dash- 
iiiL^-  down  tiK"  hay  towards  Red  Clitf  I  h)iisc.  Ica\iiii^ 
a  wake  of  foam  through  which  Ikwa's  kayak  h()l)h('(.l 
and  tumhh'd  hkc  a  s|)orti\c  aUiL^alor.  l''.v('r\lhin_L; 
went  well  until  we  reached  the  llannin^  (dacier, 
when,  after  a  few  moments'  calm,  th<;  wind   fell  upon 


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^1 

Br '^ ' 

^B 

i 

^1 

MRS.    PEARY. 

us  from  dead  ahead,  antl  threatened  to  drive  us  hack 
to  the  head  of  tlu'  ha)'  in  spite  of  our  utmost  efforts. 
Sheerinsj^  the  hoat  in  to  tlur  shore,  we  cast  anchor, 
antl  crouching'  under  our  ruhher  hlankets.  j)ut  uj)  to 
break   the   force   of  the   furious   wind,   we  waited    till 


I'  1 


I    * 


i ,  ■  .1 


i;^^       Northward  oxer  the  "  ( irc.it  Ice" 

ncarl)'  morninL;.  when  the  wind  siil)si(lcd  siitticiiiuly 
to  ('nal)lc  lis  lo  take  to  the  oars  and  j^radnall)  work 
the  l)oat  down  to  Kcd  ClilT  House. 

\>  !  slowl\  hol)l)l((l.  with  the  Doctor's  assistance, 
from  the  l)oal  up  lhrouL;li  the  snow  to  Kcd  Cliff 
I  louse.  I  promised  m)self  thai  I  should  ne\cr  leave 
it  ai^ain  until  in  full  possession  of  my  wonted  |)lusi- 
cal  enerLiies  ;  set  the  inaction  at  the  house  was  worse 
than  possible  misha|)s,  and  two  days  later  I  was  a'^ain  in 
the  l)oat  hound  for  the  head  of  the  haw  after  the  re- 
mainder of  the  herd  of  deer  which  we  had  seen  on  our 
first  trip.  Mrs.  I'(;ar\-,  I  )r.  Cook.  Matt,  and  Ikwa  ac- 
companied  me  this  time.  lea\in'4"  onl\'  Ikwa's  wife  and  ; 
her  two  children  at  Kcd  Cliff  lloUse.  LandiiiL;-  at  the 
llaiiniiiL;-  (dacier  for  our  lunch,  for  a  moment  I  was 
startled  hy  seeini;-  footprints  on  theheach.  which  Ikwa, 
without  a  momtMU's  hesitation,  pronounced  X'erhoelf's. 
l''ollowinL(  thesi;  tracks,  however,  for  a  short  distance, 
I  found  them  acc"-nj)anieil  I))'  two  others,  hut  as  all 
the  tracks  showed  no  indications  of  injury  or  e\en 
fatigue,  I  at  once  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
l)o\s  had  simpK'  returnetl  after  haxiiT'"  encountered 
some  obstacle  on  the  Inland  Ice.  ( )n  this  trip  fort- 
luii;  smiled  upon  us,  and  in  two  or  three  da\s  Matt 
and  Ikwa  had  hroui^ht  to  cam])  nine  tine  deer,  Re- 
turniniLi'  with  my  load  of  venison  anil  skins  to  Red 
Cliff   House,    I   lu^artl  the  l)o\s'  stor\-  of  their  i^xperi- 

«  '  I 

ence  on  the  ice-caj).  ami  then  sent  them  to  the  head 
of  the  hay  in  the  f\iith  to  hrin^'  hack  their e(iuii)ment. 
The  attempt  to  estahlish  an  atlvance  su])pl\'  depot 
had  not  heeii  a  success.  The  sled^'e  j)arty  returned  to 
Red  Clift  on  .Sei)tend)er  12th,  rei)ortin^-  that  soft  snow 
made  sledw-hauliiiLr  very  arduous  work.  rhe\-  could 
drajL^  only  one  sletls^e  at  a  time,  and  hein^'  compelled 
to  douhle  on  their  tracks,  thev  made  only  one  mile  on 
September  Sth,  reachiuL;  an  altitude  of  2300  ^oet.      A 


I 


lilT 


Hoat  and  Slcdi^c  Trips 


'  M) 


snow-storm  and  hl'j^U  wind  kept  them  in  cani])  on 
Scpicnilxr  ()lli.  The  nt\i  niorniiii^.  the  liaulinL;  was 
worse  than  txcr.  and  thc\'  mailc  only  a  inilf  I)\  noon. 
After  reconnoitriiiiL.;"  tliree   miles. alie.id  an«l  tindin^  no 

prospect  ol  better  sledi^inu;'.  the\'  dej)osited  one  ol  tile 
sledge  loads  on  a  nnnalak  at  an  <  l;\ation  ot  2(y)n 
feet  above  the  sea.  and  returiuil  home  without  their 
sledges  or  sIeej)inn-_L;i'ar. 


WALRUS. 


( )n  Se])temlH'r  22il.  I  sent  Astriip  and  Ciihson  to 
the  head  of  the  hay  a^ain,  to  attain  the  Inlaiul  Ice,  and 
study  the  condition  of  travel  as  lar  north-east  as  j)ossi- 
ble.  After  dra^Liin^'  their  sleii^cs  tor  live  da\s  and 
attaining'  an  altitude  of  about  .p)00  feet,  thc-y  deciiled 
to  return,  owin^'  to  sn()w-s(|ualls,  hiL^h  winds,  and  hard 
hauliuL;'.  The  thermometer  was  broken  on  the  third 
day  out,  antl  the   lowe-st    temi)e'rature    recortled    uj)  to 


Mr  It 


i^f' 


m 


140       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

tliat  tiniL'  was  2"  [\  Astri'ii)  cstiniatc'tl  tlicy  liad  made 
about  tliirt\-  miles  inland,       ThcN-  turnc'd  back  thu  day 

*.  *■  * 

after  they  lost  sii^dit  of  land.  They  were  warm  enough 
when  walkinLT,  and  Astriii)  believed  the  low(!St  tern- 
perature  was  not  more  than  —  10°  F.,  and  it  was  hi^dier 
in  their  snow  huts. 


WALRUS    HEAD. 


As  a  result  of  this  futile  attempt  upon  the  Inland 
Ice,  my  sledi^e  party  the  following-  spring-  travelled  to 
the  north-east  coast  of  Greenland  and  back,  over  1200 
miles,  entirely  without  depots,  and  carryinu^  their 
entire  supj)lies,  except  the  musk-ox  meat  obtained  on 
the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Ocean. 

While   the   sledj^e   part}'   was  away   on   its    second 


'h 


.1 


i 


Boat  and  Sledge  Trips 


141 


i 


r 


'i 


journc:y,  Mrs.  Pciiry,  Dr.  Cook,  Matt.  Ikwa,  and 
myself  started  in  the  Mary  Peary  o\\  Septemlxr  2},(\, 
for  Innlefield  Gulf,  provisioned  for  a  week,  to  learn 
the  prospects  for  j^ame  in  that  direction,  and  intro- 
duce ourselves,  if  possible,  to  more  of  the  I'^skimos. 
Roundini^  Cape  Cleveland,  the  north  shore  of  Murchi- 
son  Sound  stretched  away  before  us,  a  broad  traj)- 
dyke  runninjr  up  the  slope  and  a  lon^;,  stee[)  bank  of 
detritus  formini^  the  shore,  A  few  eiders  were  tlyin^- 
about,  and  new  ice  was  tormiuL,'"  in  the  Sountl.  We 
pushed  on  until  nearly  two  i". m.,  when  we  were  stoj)])ed 
by  new  ice  a  lialf-inch  in  thickness.  As  the  ice  was 
too  thick  to  pull  through,  we  skirted  it  to  the  south- 
west in  the  direction  of  Herbert  Island  ;  but  did  not 
succeed  in  findin<j^an  openinij^  throusj^h  which  we  could 
advance  farther  eastward.  It  was  not  long,  howevtT, 
before  w^e  had  plenty  of  excitement  to  di.ert  our 
thouL^hts  from  the  difficulties  of  navijj^ation. 

On  a  larj^e  cake  of  ice  we  saw  fifteen  walrus  enjoy- 
inu;-  the  air.  i  lost  no  time  in  making-  for  them.  ldi(,'y 
did  not  seem  to  mind  our  approach,  and  ditl  not  wake 
up  to  the  expediency  of  vacatin^^  their  fragment  of 
ice  until  we  had  fairly  run  our  boa  upon  the  cake. 
Then  the  shores  reverberated  with  the  unwonted 
sound  of  ritie-shots,  and  Ikwa,  poisinj^  his  harpoon 
a  moment,  hurled  it  deep  into  the  side  of  a  female, 
who,  with  her  younij^,  tumbled  into  the  water. 

We  barely  (escaped  cai)sizino-,  as  the  prow  of  my 
boat  was  jerked  oft"  the  ice  by  the  now  desi)erat(^  ani- 
mal, and,  before  we  knew  it,  we  were  in  tow,  scuddinLj;- 
throuii^h  the  water  at  a  lively  pace,  behind  the  har- 
pooned walrus. 

It  was  a  picture  full  of  action.  Tlu;  fris^ditened  and 
infuriated  walrus,  dashing-  here  and  there  amouLi^  the 
iceberL!^s  and  cakes  of  ice  that  covered  the  surface  of 
the  Sound  ;  the  Mary  Peary  in   tow,  her  sharj)  bow 


14-        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

crunchiPL,^  through  the  crust  of  new  ice;  Dr.  Cook 
stantliii!^-  in  the  how  of  the  hoat  ovc.-r  the  sin^iii!;;  line, 
ready  to  cut  it  sliouKl  the  animal  make  a  dive  umler 
one  of  the  hi-r^s  or  cakes  of  ice  ;  and  ^hltt  and  my- 
self endeavouring-,  as  best  we  couUl.  from  the  motion 
of  the  boat  and  the  erratic  movements  of  the  animal, 
to  _L(et  a  bullet  into  its  head  and  stoj)  its  career.  It 
was  a  loni;;'  tow  in  si)ite  of  our  efforts  to  brini^'  it  to  an 
end,  but  hnalh'  we  killed  both  the  woundetl  brute  and 
her  younu,  and,  turniuL;  about,  wt-  went  back  to  the 
ice-cake,  where  we  secured  the  heads  of  the  two  wal- 
rus we  had  left  dead  th('re. 

(J)ur  ai)i)etite  for  sport  had  been  onh'  whetted  by 
this  adventure,  and  we  had  a  new  and  still  more  ex- 
citing' exj)erience  a  few  minutes  later.  W'-  suddenly 
ran  into  a  school  and,  blazintj^  away,  \\\t  killed  two  of 
tin;  animals.  The  rest  of  tliem  resented  our  intru- 
sion, and  we  suddenly  became'  the?  huntetl  instead  of 
the  hunters.  There  were,  j)erhai)S,  one  hundred  of 
the  enraged  Ijrutes,  and  we  had  the  hardest  kind  of 
work  to  keep  them  away  from  the  boat.  ()ur  rcjx'at- 
ers  blazed  continuously,  and  to  add  to  the  din,  Ikwa 
beat  a  lively  tattoo  on  tlu-  boat  with  his  harpoon  and 
emittetl  the  most  startling'  \ells.  Mrs.  I\-ary  was  very 
cool  throui^h  it  all,  and  slipjjino-  down  from  her  seat 
beside  me  in  the  stern  into  the  bottom  of  the  boat, 
where  she;  could  w^ith  hvx  body  shield  my  injured  leL(, 
now  knittiuL^  in  the  splints,  from  the;  excited  move- 
ments of  the  others,  she  steadih'  filled  the  ma_i;-azines 
of  our  Winchesters  as  they  were  emptied,  and  v^nabled 
us  to  keep  up  i-.uch  a  continuous  fire  that  the  iui^e 
brutt^s,  thouL(h  fiercely  and  repeatedU'  led  to  the'  charge 
l)y  a  bi*;"  bull,  could  not  stantl  the  uninterrupted  blaze 
and  crash  from  our  repeaters,  antl  at  last  we  L,dadly 
witnessed  their  departure,  and  then  counted  the  spoils 
of  battle. 


S 


i\ ' 


vc- 
ncs 

Lil's 


h 


I-k)at  and  Sledge  Trips 


143 


We  had  four  walrus  hcatls  in  the  hoats  and  at  I'ast 
four  more  animals  had  been  killed  and  sunk  o:;'.  of 
si_n-ht.      We  were  i^lad  to  land  iind  camp  for  the  ni^ht. 

Next  morning-,  1  )r.  Cook  and  Matt  st  uled  to  walk 
east  alon_!^  the  short?  to  the  house  of  a  natixc  who. 
Ikwa  said,  lived  near  Cape  Ackland.  Tile)-  were  oone 
twelve  hours,  aiul  I  put  in  the  Unut  takin:;'  hearings 
and  photoi^^raphic  views  around  the  Sound. 

The    Doctor  and    Matt   returned  at   ten    i'.  m.,  and 


AMPHITHEATRE    BERG. 

Young  Ice  just  Fnrmiiig. 

thouo-ht  they  had  walked  nearly  forty  miles.  They 
had  seen  no  natives,  hut  had  found  four  stone  igloos, 
laro-cr  than  others  we  had  seen,  onl)-  one  of  which 
seemed  to  ha\c;  In'v.n  reciintly  used.  They  f(nmd  the 
youno-  ice  farther  up  th(,'  Sound  stronu;  enough  to 
walk  ujjon. 

As  the  n(;w  ice  preV(Mited  farther  pro-ress.  and  we 
had  found  no  tracc-s  of  th'cr  aloUL-'  the  shon.',  we  re- 


1 1' 


I(f 


':i 


I  \ 


144       Northward  o\cr  the  "Great  Ice" 

turned  tlic  next  niorniiiL;-  to  Red  Cliff  House.",  and  the 
&d\  follo\vin<'-,  SeptcnilxT  26th,  set  out  earh-  to  cross 
JMcCormick  i^)a\-.  and  reconnoitn-  for  deer  in  two  \al- 
le\s  on  the  north  side.  Soon  after  leaving'  Red  Chff 
House  in  the  Mary  Pcar\\  we  met  ne-w  ice,  and  were 
three  hours  pulhiiL;-  throuf^h  it  to  the  north  shore. 
After  landing",  I  sent  Dr.  Cook  and  Matt  to  recon- 
noitre the  upper  valley.  Mrs.  Rear\-,  Ikwa,  and  my- 
self put  up  the  cam]),  and  I  took  a  round  of  views  and 
beariui^s.  About  einht  i'. m.,  the  bo\s  came  Ixick  with 
two  deerskins  and  one  deer,  troj)hies  of  Matt's  rille,  and 
after  a  hot  meal  they  brought  in  the  other  deer.  They 
were  unable  to  reach  the  uppt-r  valle\-  on  account  of 
the  steep  shore,  and  they  reported  the  youuLj^  ice  much 
heavier  farther  up  the  ba\'.  It  was  a  calm,  clear,  lovely 
da)-  ;  and,  in  our  ])oat  tent  on  the  beach  that  nioht, 
we  enjoyed  the  sound,  refreshing-  sleep  we  had  well 
earned. 

Next  mornino-,  Dr.  Cook  and  Matt  went  out  for 
the  skin  of  a  seal  Matt  had  shot,  and  when  the\'  re- 
turned  we  launched  our  boat,  homeward  bound.  The 
ice  was  much  heaxier  than  when  we  crossed  it  the  day 
before.  With  my  crij^pled  le_Lj;  in  the  boat's  l)ow,  and 
the  other  han^j^^ini^  over  the  side,  I  broke  ice  with  my 
heavily  booted  left  foot  durin^-  the  seven  hours'  j(Hir- 
ney.  The  boat  was  forced  alonu-  sometimes  by  boat- 
hooks,  and  sometimes  by  oars  driven  into  the  ice.  A 
day  later,  we  could  not  have  taken  the  boat  across. 
\W'  saw  numerous  walrus,  ooojook  and  nctsook  seals. 
We  were  very  tired,  but  dinner  never  tasted  better 
than  the  glorious  repast  we  soon  spread  in  our  little 
cabin. 

The  days  were  i^rowin^-  short  apace,  and.  having 
successfully  started  the  hunting  campaigr.,  we  gave 
much  attention  to  getting  the  house  ready  for  winter. 
On   Monday,  September  28th,  the  stove  was  put  up, 


t 


Boat  and  Slcd^c  Trips 


'45 


I 
^ 


antl  Ikwa  manifi'stt'd  the  first  si^ii  ot  astonishment 
at  anxthin^-  he  had  seen.  When  the  fire  was  kindled 
in  the  stove,  and  the  tiames  went  roaring-  ii|)  the 
\n\)c,  the  spectacle  startled  him  rntg^slnviits  and  antics 
indicatinL^f  unbounded  surjorise.  The  noxclt)-  allured 
him  for  sc^me  time  from  his  seal  and  walrus  sj)ears 
and  sledi^a;,  which  he.  was  j)utlinL;-  in  ordcM'  for  the 
winter  cami)ai^"n.  In  two  minuti's  after  I  started 
the  fire,  the  temperature;  in  the  house  had  run  uj)  to 
+go''    F.      Next    da)-,    the    ventilatiuL;-   sliafts,    double 


up, 


THE    BOAT   CAMP- EXTERIOR. 

windows,  and  oth(!r  details  about  the  house  received 
attention. 

On  October  ist,  I  establishetl  our  camp  routine, 
b'ourdiour  watches  were  appointed.  Dr.  Cook,  \'er- 
hoeff,  Gibson,  and  Astriip  taking-  turns. 

The  (lav  this  routine  went  into  effect,  I  had  the 
satisfaction  of  counting-  fifteen  reindeer  in  my  larder; 
and   a   few   days   more   would   see    huntini;-   full\-    re- 


/ 


'     v 


t'T  I 


'  *,>' 


146       Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

sinned,  for  the  l)a\-  ice  \v;is  ra])icll\  thickcninLi'.  the 
icc-t();)l  aloiiLi'  the  sliorc  was  forniiiiL;-  fasl.  ami  weeks 
of  L^ood  slecU^iiiL;'  would  coiiie.  '\hv.  sun  was  soon  to 
lea\'e  us.  and  the  tn'st  da\'  in  October  we  IkuI  the 
benefit  of  its  ra\s  onl\'  for  a  few  hours  late;  in  the 
afternoon.  ( )n  ()ct()ber  ^^d,  for  the  tn'st  time,  1 
walked  nearl\-  a  half-mile  aluni,^  the  beach,  with 
neither  crutch  nor  cane. 


'.■~> 


Hciison. 


1»|-.   (nok. 


I U  wall. 


THE   BOAT   CAMP- INTERIOR. 

Before  the  winter  nii^ht  came,  we  made  our  first 
sleduj'e  trip  from  Red  Cliff  House.  It  was  on  the 
mornino-  of  October  7th  that  we  started  for  the  head 
of  McCormick  I^a\',  to  hunt  deer  and  brimj;^  back  tin* 
remainder  of  the  ba^'jjl'a^e  the  Inl'ind-Ice  j)arty  had 
left.  The  j)arty  comi)rised  Mrs.  l\'ar\-,  Oibson,  As- 
triip.  Matt,  and  myself.      We  had  three  do^s  and  two 


Boat  and  Slcdj^c  Trips  147 

sk-d-es.  Near  tlu;  first  Han-in-  (dacier  uc  nicked 
ui^  th('  sl('cpin,Lr-,<rL'ar  thr  hovs  had  Kdt.  and  after 
Jum|):n.L,r  the  sli'd^ires  across  one  or  two  narrow  leads 
ami  travc'llinLT  at  top  sp.  c  d  over  lanes  of  thin  ice 
which  sui-ed  and  l,iickh-d  l.eiieath  us.  we  reached 
the  ice-foot  a-ain.  about  a  mile  from  the  head  of  the 
hay,  then  followed  it  to  -  lioat  Camp."  an  ei-dit 
hours  journey  from  the  house.  I^ittin--  e,,  our  t  "nt 
we  were  soon  ensconced  in  it.  wrapped  'in  our  furs 

Next  morninc,^  the  boys  went  out  for  reindeer  while 
1  lay  in  camp  all  day  with  a  tired  le-  On  J-ridav 
th<-  9th  mst..  the  boys  brouuht  the  sledovs  and  other 
niipedimenta  of  the  Inland-Ice^  trip  d.nvn  from  the 
plateau,  and  made  another  sc-arch  for  deer,  while  I  re- 
mained useless  in  cami).  We  were  havin"  a  few 
spurts  of  snow,  but  I  observed  that  there  was  not  so 
much  snow  at  the  head  of  the  bay  as  at  the  time-  of 
my  previous  visit.  On  the  loth  inst.,  the  boys  made 
anotner  unsuccessful  raid  after  deer.      As  the  cjuest  for 

p  "i  7^-^''  ''"^'"  •'^^'^^^^'•'^^fi'l-  I  determined  to  return  to 
Ked  C  iH.  Ik:fore  we  went,  though,  we  were;  c-nter- 
tained  by  the  calvin--  of  the  bi-  o-hicier  at  the  head  of 
the  l)a>-.  which  I  afterwards  named  tiu'  Sun  (dacier. 

Ihe  o-lacier  face  had  a  precipitate;  front  about  a 
hundred  feet  hiVh.  1-ar  up  the  wide  fjord  bordered 
by  steep  black  cliffs  that  rise  a  thousand  to  fifteen 
hundred  feet  above  the  bi_<r  ice  river,  we  could  sec-  tlie 
Inland  Ice  that  incessantly  feeds  the  olacier  and  Uy  its 
resistless  force  j)ushes  it  forward  into  the  sea.  'The 
ice-front  had  advanced  to  deep  water  and.  as  we  looked 
our  attention  attracted  by  ominous  sounds  from  the 
.L^lacier,  a  .irreat  mass  broke  off  with  a  thunderin..  re- 
port, dashin.cr  water  and  sprav  hioh  into  the  air  '"and 
the  new-born  bero;  went  teeterin^^r  throuoh  the  youn-- 
ice,  which  It  shattered  far  around. 

On  one  of  the  lessee  olaciers  back  of  ni)-  camj)  was 


'I 


'.I 

II 


^4^       i\orth\v:ircl  oxer  the  "Great  Ice 


I 


i\ 


il 


a  l)iL,^  hlotch  of  rcil  colour,  sharpK  contrasting-  witli  the; 
white  surface,  and  streaminL,'^  down  tlie  L,dacier  face. 
So  vivid  was  this  colour  that  I  named  the  glacier  the 
(dacier  of  the  Scarlet  Ileart. 


GLACIER    OF   THE   SCARLET    HEART. 

We  reached  lied  Clilf  I  louse  after  a  five  hours'  trip 
from  the  heatl  of  the  hay.  The  I^skimo  do^-  and  fack 
jndled  Mrs.  Peary,  myself,  and  the  load,  ai^LireoatinL,^ 
about  live  humlred  jjounds,  the  entire  distance  with 
comparative  ease.  I  determined  that  this  should  be 
my  last  tri|)  for  the  season,  as  I  found  I  was  in  no  con- 
dition to  iMidero'o  severe  physical  exertion.  The  three 
months'  confinement  with  m\-  lei^  had  affected  my  en- 
ilurance,  and  the  lei^  itself  i^ave  me  trouble  if  1  over- 
exerted. 

At  nine  p.m.  on  Sunday,  October  i  ith,  (iibson.  who 
was  on  watch,  reported  an  aurora.  It  was  a  j)ale, 
wa\\'  curtain  extentliuL;'  nearl)-  north  and  south  across 
the  ba\',  and  apparently  not  far  distant.      It  hnalh'  dis- 


Boat  and  Slcclti^c  Trips 


140 


appL-arctl. — hut  next  iii^ht  uc  had  another  aurora,  aj)- 
pearini^  at  t'K'Vt-n  o'ck)ck  and  (hsa|)i)('arin^-  three  hours 
later.  Akhou^h  our  huntiuL;'  trip  to  the  head  of  the 
l^ay  for  tleer  had  not  heen  succt'ssful,  we  wen*  all  much 
elated  hy  tlv  s|)lendid  results  of  an  excursion  on  ( )cto- 
her  13th  to  Imvc  CUacier  X'alK-)-  on  the  north-east  side 


o 


THE    FIVE-GLACIER-VALLEY    PARTY. 

Startiiit;. 

of  the  bay.  Gihson.  Astrup,  and  Dr.  Cook  formed 
the  party,  and  they  did  not  return  until  hve  days  later, 
when  they  arrived  at  the  house  with  ten  deerskins, 
a  fox,  and  a  hare.  Tliex-  IkuI  cached  the-  meat.  The 
Doctor  had  covtTetl  himself  with  L^lory.  I'p  to  this 
time  he  had  been  unfortunate  in  not  shootini;'  ;i  deer. 
Now  he  had  made  the  record  of  the  entire  expt^lition 
by  bai^^t^in^^  hve  in  an  afternoon. 


it 


15^       Northward  ovcv  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

Tile  Mary  Peary  was  now  |)ii]lc(l  up  well  a1)()\'(: 
hiLi'li-watcr  mark,  turned  oxer,  sii|)|)()rt(''l  on  |)illars  of 
ice.  .md  a  snow  wa.ll  hnilt  around  her,  thus  conwrtinL;; 
her  into  a  storehouse. 

Ah)nda\'  evenin::',  ()c:tol)er  12th,  .M;i'Lt  iliseerned  a 
lii^ht  direct!)' across  the  l>a\-.  1  he  appearance  of  this 
li;^hl.  ll;ci<i  riiiL;'  on  the  far-olT  opposite  sliore.  startletl 
us  into  straUL^'e  fancies,  anil  we  could  hardl\'  rid  our- 
seKi's  of  \\\c  iilea  that  we  saw  he  lore  i...  the  fanl;istic 
huit'  rn  of  souk;  arctic  \\'i!l-o'-the-wisj).  l'nima_L;ina- 
ti\i  Ikwa  (k'clared,  howewr,  tliat  this  faint  and  un- 
stead)'  heani  undoubted!)- c;nne  from  an  Innuit's  hmip 
and  tliat  he  would  i)r()])al)i)'  arrixc  the;  next  da)-.  Suri,; 
enough,  after  lunch  next  afternoon.  Mane  came  runninij^ 
into  tiie  b.o'ase  with  the  cr)-  of  "  Innuic,"  and  through 
ni)-  i^hiss  I  saw  a  man  with  a  sled^-e  and  three  do^s 
coming:;- across  th.eha)-,  and  before  lou;.;  tl-i  •  lix'el)-  team 
dashed  over  the  ice-loot  and  was  at  our  camp.  TIu.' 
visitor's  name  was  XowdinL;)ali,  and  we  ciiiled  liim 
Jumlx),  i)ecause  \\v.  w:is  one  of  the  giants  ol  his  peo- 
ple. Stand  in:;"  h\e  ft;et  se\-(.:n  inches  antl  W(ML;hin.u;' 
oxer  !  "j^  pounds,  such  a  man  would  be  a  lar^c;  person 
in  an)-  costume,  and  in  I^skimo  outfit  he  loomed  uj) 
like  a  Colossus.  NowdinLixah  hadi  a  moustache  cind 
^i^-oatee,  and  was  clad  in  a  fox-skin  jumper  and  bear- 
skin trousers.  My  visitor  seemed  to  be;  fa\-ourabl)-  im- 
pri'ssetl  with  what  he  saw,  anil  nc-xt  ela)-,  accomi)anie(.l 
b)-  Ikwa,  he  hastened  away  to  spread  the  news  anion  4 
his  neiLi'l'ibours  ;  and  onl\'  three;  twilight  da)-s  elapse;d 
before  X()wdinL;)-ah  returned,  brin^in^-  with  him  two 
fellow  tribesmen,  Kahunahanel  .\rre)toksuah.  with  their 
sledges  anel  six  doo's.  The  latter  was  an  olel  man,  whose 
placid,  beMii^n  face,  anel  throat  fringe  of  white  bear- 
skin elicited  from  mv  irreve'rent  ye)uno-  me-n  the  nick- 
name-  by  which  he-  was  ad  ways  afterwarels  known. 
"  Horace    Cireelev."      They    se)e)n    re;turned    to    their 


!i 


Boat  ami  Slcclj^c  Trips 


131 


ii^ioos  to  the  north-westward,  l»iit  on  (  )ciol)cr  2^i\\, 
kaluiiiah  with  his  wit\-  iind  three  ihikh-eii  ami  Arro- 
toksiiah  witli  his  wife  and  one  child  came  over  the 
icc'  to  me  with  two  sleil^cs  and  onI\-  two  do^s,  the 
entire  party,  exceptin,;  liie  iiiYaiU.  walking.  1  jxr- 
mitted  the  newcomers  to  sKi'i)  on  the  lloor  ol  tlu- 
house. 


, 

■     '  k 

^^ 

. 

14 

^^^1 

B 

K 

THE    FIVE-GLACIER-VALLEY    PARTY. 

KcturniiiL;  Oct.   iMli. 

We  found  thai  "Horace  Cireeley's"  wife  was  a 
character.  Gaunt  and  tall  in  !i:^un',  brown  and  wrin- 
kled of  face,  she  went  into  Insterics  of  lauL^hter  at 
the  siLjfht  of  Mrs.  Pear\-,  and  when  seated  beside  tin; 
stove  at  Red  Cliff,  she  fell  into  such  a  j)aro.\ysm  of 
voluhilitv,  ret>'ardless  of  the  fad  thai  none  of  us  un- 
clerstood  a  word   she   was   savin<'-,    that    she   at   once 


Northward  ()\  cr  the  "  Circat  Ice  " 


M 


111 


I    \  < 


!     / 


I! 


Ul 


ri'ci'ivcd  tb.c  (.'nclL'ariiiL;  name  of  "  Sain-)  ("lamp." 
This  old  coiiplu  had  hccn  at  I'olaris  Mouse  and  still 
possessed  some  articles  L,nveii  thi-iii  1)\-  nieinhers  of 
I  )r.  liaH's  |)art\-.  AinoiiL;  tlnse  were  a  sextant  box 
and  a  striiv-  of  heads. 


NOWDINGYAH. 


Late  on  Xoveniber  ist,  anoth(.'r  family  arrived, 
Annowkah,  his  wife  Me^ipsu,  and  their  hahy,  from 
Nerke,  far  to  the;  north-west  towards  Cai^e  Alexander, 
where  they  were  livinLj^  in  their  solitary  hut  nearer  to 
the  Pole  than  any  other  human  loeini^s  in  the  world. 
They  were  a  clean,  well-dressed,  L,mod-lookinsj;'  younjj^ 
couple  ;  the  woman  particularly  intelli^^ent  and  bright 
in  appearance. 

We  called  Megipsu  "  The    Daisy."     The  Httle  wo- 


Boat  and  Slccls^c  Trip^ 


i5;> 


)X 


3 


mail  was  slircwd  ciioiil;!!  l'»  pcnciv  <•  al  once  the  ad- 
vaiitaL^cs  of  hcconiinn'  an  allaclu'-  ot  ni\  mansion,  and 
slu;  provi'd  such  a  fine  seamstress  and  worked  herself 
so  completely  into  our  i^ood  L^races,  that  1  tmally  closed 
a  contract  with  her  to  settle  down  in  a  snow  i^loo 
close  to  Knl  Cliff  an<l  remain  with  us  until  the  return 
of  the  sun,  makin:^  up  our  fur  clothiiiL;"  and  sleepin^;- 
l)a_L;s. 

Annowkah  went  to  work  with  a  will  upon  the  con- 
struction of  a  snow  i^u'loo.  and  soon  had  it  roofed  in. 
Then  the  interior  was  u])holstered  with  a  ruliher 
i)lanket,  an  overcoat  which  The  I  )ais\'s  winniuL;  ways 
had  obtained  from  Matt,  a  blanket  contributed  by 
(libson.  and  some  pieces  of  tarred  rootniL;  pap('r. 
IMecL's  of  blubber  from  m\'  stock  furnished  the:  oil  for 
an  impromptu  lamp  matle  from  the  side;  of  a  cracker 
tin,  ami  my  seamstress  and  her  husbanil  were  made 
entirely  comfortable  until  he.  with  the  assistance  of 
my  doLi^s.  could  brini^'  over  from  their  distant  home 
their  household  utensils  and  su|)plies  of  food.  Mere 
they  li\ed  until  the  warm  May  sun  threatened  to 
tumble  their  house  in  uj)on  their  heatls,  when  they 
moved  to  their  skin  tent,  or  tupik. 

The  first  Eskimo  to  reach  m\'  camj)  with  a  team 
of  doo[s  found  an  eatj^er  purchaser  for  the  animals, 
and  for  some  trilling-  presents  he  parted  with  his 
doi^s  and  went  home  on  foot.  Both  Ikwa  and 
NowdinLiyah  said  the  I^skimos  had  a  jj^ood  many 
clours,  and  the  prospect  seemed  favourable  for  obtain- 
ini:;'  an  excellent  do^-  team  for  the  si)rinL,'^  sledL^in^'. 
As  the  result  of  a  s\-stematic  series  cf  interviews  with 
the  natives  who  canie  to  Rt^d  Cliff,  I  had,  when  the 
spriniL^  of  iSc)2  dawned  upon  us.  in  my  jjossession 
information  as  to  the  location  and  ownership  of  prob- 
ably every  do^'  in  the  tribe,  and  knew  also  the  tinan- 
cial  ratinir  of  their  owners  (if  such  a  term    ma\'  be 


15 


5    , 


*      [ 


•i! 


154       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

used);  in  other  words,  1  knew  just  what  eacli  one's 
possessions  wcTe,  and  also  what  eacli  one  most  desiretl, 
and  what  would  he  most  effective  in  harterinj^  for  the 
doi^s. 

Occasionally  snow-scjualls  visited  us  durint^-  Octo- 
her,  thou;di  the  weather  was  oenerally  pleasant.  On 
Octoher  3d,   the  youni;-   ice   was  strong   enough   for 


I 


'■ 


"HORACE    GREELEY"    AND    '   SAIREY   GAMP." 

Ikwa  to  walk  half-way  across  the  bay.  Cajje  Rob- 
ertson, on  tlu.'  opposite  shore,  was  clad  in  a  goodly 
mantl'  of  white.  November  3d,  the  ice  in  front  of 
the  house,  150  feet  from  th(!  shore,  was  seventeen 
inches  thick.  Ice;  was  still  lloating  in  the;  strait  be- 
tween Herbert  antl  Northumberland  Islands  and 
Netiulume  on  the  south  shore;  of  Whale  vSound. 
All   throu<'"h   October  the  sun   was  sinkiuL''  nearer 


I  ( 


.v\ . 


Boat  and  Sled^^c  Trips 


.■^.t 


SIL^IU. 


and    ncarLT    the   horizon,    till    it   sank    ..ut    of    ....... 

October    loth,  it  appeared  from   behind  Cape  Cleve- 
land  at   3:10   I'.M..   very   low  and   much   distorted   bv 
refraction.      On    the    19th,   sunh\du    illiimine-d    Cane 
Robertson    across   the  bay  al^out    2:50   i-,.m.,   and  we 
observed  a  beautiful   eff(,'ct  of  the  sun's  raNs  tintin- 
the  white  iceberu-s  in  Omenak  Sound,  and  i'lluminin" 
for  a  short  time   the  hills  across  the  bay.      Owin--  to 
cloudy  weath(.'r,  we  did  not  ol)serv(-  the  actual  time  of 
the  sun  s  disappearance.      The  i  st  of  November  found 
us  well  started  on  our  winter  nio;ht.      At  seven   \  m 
however,  on  a  clear  day,  I  was  still  able  to  distinuu'ish 
the  mountains  at  the  head  of  th(,'   bav.      The  ii^oon 
when  at  the  full,  was  very  brilliant. 

On  November  7th.  there  were  seventeen  men  wo- 
men and  children  besides  our  party  at  th(^  camp  and 
the  h()wlin.L,^of  twenty-one  doos  made  the  nUj^ht  lively 
iMy  httle  city  was  orowin--  nearly  ev(n-y  dav."^  It  could 
not  preserve  its  cosmopolitan  character  without  some 
sort  of  a  substitute  for  a  hotel.  Soon  November  i  rth 
a  snow  hut.  6x10  feet  in  size,  was  built  as  a  hospitable 
.i;uest-chamber  for  my  visitino-  frit-ntls. 

Meanwhile,  all  through  the  darkenino- days  we  were 
workin.cr  about  the  house.  I  fitted  up  mv  librarv 
shelves,  made  a  writin^r-desk,  and  bu..ied  nnsel'f 
with  many  odds  and  (;nds  that  were  likelv  to  add  to 
our  comfort  durino-  th(,'  winter  niuht.  Airs.  I\'arv 
decorated  our  room  with  flaos,  producin<^r  (juitc-  a 
pretty  effect.  The  boys  beo-an  makini^  sk'^lc^r^-s  from 
timber  I  had  brouoht  alono-,  odometers  to 'measure 
the  distance  travelled  on  our  comino-  shnlot;  journevs 
and  pumps  for  use  in  the  u'hale-boats  durTn.r'the  nc-xt 
summer's  homeward  xoya-e  ;  and  I  spent" consider- 
able time  puttin.i;  in  orch-r  mv  littK,'  ars(Mial.  the  usc- 
tulness  of  which  had  become  somewhat  impaired 
through  accidents. 


!f/ 


■  l 


*■  t  ■ 


i  'f 


f 


:t  i  I 


; 


1/ 


I'j 


CHAPTER  V. 


THKOLtill    THE    liKKAT    NICIIT, 


My  Priceless  Dekrskin^,— Fikst  Imi'kf.ssk.ns  ok  thk  \V 
TiiANKsiiiviNc,  Dinner— The  N. 
— "  Open  hie  Door" 

RoiTINE— Re(;oRI)IN( 


INTER  \|(;HT— () 


\rivEs  Vanolisiiei)  in  Fea 
riiE  Common  Cry  at  Red  Ci.u  e— /= 
THE  Ar(  TIC  Tide— Experiment 


dleei'in<;-Hac;s— Arctk-  En  ekatire— Oir   Hisy   X 


Taki 
r.Rii 


N(;  Fi.ash-Ei(;ht  I'ik 


"Tor.KAl'HS  — MoDKSTV 


IR 

IS  oE  Stre.N(;  III 
/ji/.tKK/o — Daily 
s  wiiH  Sledces  and 
•\rivE  Seamsikesses — 


liant  and  Beaiitkll  Winter  Days— Ski  V 


"E  the  Native  \V 

RACTICE. 


OMEN  — 


I 


\ 


(  r 


.» 


u 


I  1 


":Hi 


i 


% 


AHNGODOBLAHO. 


I   !' 


i     I 


i 


CHAPTER  V 


TiiKorcn    Tin-:  crkai"  nk.iii, 


'  ~1l 

■f^  f 

!^ 

1 

-A' 

ja   '          1 

>>, 

? 

^'y 

T 


MI">   luintin^"  season 
cncUxl  when   dark- 
ness    came     upon 
us,   antl   we  settletl   down 
in  our  small  (]uarters   for 
the  winter. 

I  regarded  the  deer- 
skins we  had  secured  as 
of  the  hii^hest  value.  be- 
fore I  left  home  1  had 
said  that  nothino-  hut  tlu,- 
imperxious  integument  of 
animal  skin  would  keep  out  the  searchiiiL;-  wind  of  the 
Inland  let-,  and  ever\- day  spent  hen;  only  strenL^th- 
iinad  me  in  my  belief,  and  made  me  prize  more;  hi^hh' 
the  e.\(|uisitely  soft,  liL(ht,  velvety  autumn  jK-lts  of 
the  reindeer,  the  best  of  all  furs  for  clothing-  and 
sleepin^-ba^s. 

It  was  a  part  of  m\'  plan  to  obtain  this  material 
from  the  Whale-Sound  region,  and  m\-  hopes  were 
full\-  realised.  My  men  shot  all  the  de(M"  we  neeih-d, 
the  skins  were  stretched  and  dried  at  Kdd  Cliff,  I  de- 


vised ant    cut  the  patterns 


for  tl 


le  suits  and  sleej)inL!^ 


baL;s.  and  the  native  women  sewed  them. 

The   work   of  preparing-  the  skins  for  clothing  in- 

159 


* 


i 


I 

I 

f 


M 


• 

t  ■ 


Mlli: 


i6o        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

vulvcd   a  i^rcat  tlt-al  of  chcwini^  on   the  part  of  my 
native  seamstresses. 

The  skin  is  folded  once  with  the  hair  insiv.le  and 
then  the  operator  chews  hack  ami  forth  alonL,^  the 
edj^e  until  the  fold  is  thorou_L;hl\-  soft  anil  j)lial)le, 
when  another  fold  is  made  and  the  process  repeated 
until  the  whole  skin  has  been  car(;fulh'  chewetl  ;  'dhv.r 
this  it  is  scraped  and  worked  with  a  blunt  instrument 
and  thiMi,  if  necessary,  chewed  ajj^ain.  It  took  two  of 
m\-  workers  about  a  day  to  chew  a  big  buckskin. 


RED    CLIFF    IN    THE   WINTER   NIGHT. 

It  was  not  eas\-  at  first  for  us  to  accustom  ourselves 
to  the  absence  of  sunlight.  Hy  November  23d,  there 
was  really  no  difference  indoors  between  day  and 
night.  Our  lamps  burned  constanth'  through  the 
t\vent\-four  hours.  Some  of  us  often  thought  in  the 
first  few  days,  "Oh,  we  won't  do  this  by  lamplight, 


Throujj'h  the  Great  Xiijht 


i6i 


but  we'll  wait  till  to-morrow,"  for*'(jttinLr  that  tlu; 
morrow  would  hrinij^  no  sim.  Still,  we  ditl  not  tiiul 
tlu;  darkness  oppressive,  which  was  fortunate,  for  we 
were  not  to  haxc  our  darkest  da\'  for  a  month  to 
come.  The  darkest  da\-  of  winter  would  reach  us 
about  December  22d.  and  we  would  not  see  the  sun 
aLi^ain  until  about  b\'bruar\-  i  uh-  -^t  nine  a.m.  now, 
the  tlawndii^ht  was  very  distinct  over  the  cliffs  back 
of  t!i('  house,  ami  at  eleven  o'clock  the  iceberL^s  bexond 
the  shadow  of  Cape  Cleveland  showed  a  pronounced 
liLdu. 


\\ 


V      4 


;lves 

lere 

and 

the 

the 

i.^'ht, 


IKWAS   MANSION. 


We  '.ad  man\-  rc;asons  to  be  thankful  for  tlie  ^ood 
fortune  that  had  thus  far  attended  us,  and  I  thought 
we  could,  with  peculiar  propriet),  observe  the  day 
that  at  home  is  set  aj^art  in  recoi^mition  of  our  na- 
tional and  domestic  blessings.  The  followinij;"  pro- 
clamation, therefore,  was  issued  at  Red  Cliff  House 
on  November  25th  : 


I' 


I  ^ 


162        Nortlnvcird  over  the  "(iPcat  Ice" 


•flif 


'I'  i 

■f;    1!' 

.  'Ft 


1     I 


t  V 


"  Thursday,  November  26th,  is  lu-reliy  designatod  as  Thanks- 
giving Day  at  Red  C'lil'f  House  and  will  be  observed  as  sui  h. 
The  preservatior.  of  our  isolated  little  i)arty  thus  far  in  gocd 
health,  a  larder  well  stocked  with  game,  and  a  house  well  fitted 
to  keep  its  inmates  (■omt"f)rtal)le  in  se\erest  weather,  are  reasons 
for  the  day  to  be  something  more  than  a  mere  form  to  us. 

"K.   1:.  I'l  AKV,  U.   S.    \., 
"  Co  1)1  ma luH  11;^  Xort/i-Grccnland  J'lxpciiition." 

Thankso;-ivino-  1  )a\',  Mrs.  Peary  and  I  walked  to 
Cape  Clevelaiul  to  see  as  nuich  as  possible  of  the 
noon  twilioht.  The  t'-mperatiire  wjis  —  12V'  I'.  It 
was  lioht  enoiioh  for  comfortable  walkinLf,  and  when  we 
reached  the  Cape,  the  sotithern  horizon  was  all  a^iow. 

On  each  side;  was  the  ros)-  li_i;"ht  of  dawn  and  just 
over  the  channel  between  Herbert  and  Xorthiuiiber- 
lantl  Islands  \\w\-\\^  the  silver  crescent  moon. 

In  the  eveninL,^  with  the  tem))erature  outside  at 
—  16-V"  b'.,  we  sat  tlown  in  oiu*  comfortable  little  cabin 
to  a  tempting;  Thanksoivino'  dinner  of  broiled  guille- 
mot tlressed  with  L^reen  peas,  a  \-enison  pie,  hot 
biscuit,  pltmi-i)uddinL!;'  with  branil\-  sauce,  ai)ricot  pan- 
dowdy, apple-pie,  pineapple,  cantl\'.  coFtee,  whiskey 
cocktail,  and  Rhine  wine.  Idle  party  all  appeared  in 
their  civilised  attire,  though  the  o(intlemen  were  not 
in  dress-suits,  a  phase  of  costinne  that  some  of  the 
newspajjers  at  home  hatl  included  in  oiu'  e(|ui})ment. 
Astriip's  wardrobe  was  deficient  in  shirts  and  he  im- 
provised a  shirt  bosom  from  a  towel.  A  silk  llao'  was 
fastened  over  the  table.  Later  our  Flskimo  friends 
shared  in  our  oood  cheer  and  the  boys  and  the  natives 
amused  themsehes  with  games  of  strenoth  until  far 
into  the  (!venino-. 

December  ist  foimd  us  in  first-class  condition,  btisy 
and  content.  As  yet  we  had  imch  rgone  no  seriotis 
hardships.  The  month  was  usher*  d  in  with  a  brisk 
wind  and  a  snow-storm  that  lasted  for  twenty-four 
hours,   half  burying   Red   Cliff   Hotise  in  drifts.      In- 


!  I 


Throiiijh  the  Great  Niijht 


•63 


LISV 
t)US 

■isk 

our 

In- 


doors, however,  \vc;  were  burniiij^"  hut  sixteen  cans  of 

coal,  averai^nnjj;-  i  J|  pounds  each,  in  twents-four  hours. 

I  do  not   know   that  any  arctic  house  was  (  \er  com- 

fortal)ly  warmed   before   on   so   small   an   amount   of 

fuel.      The  constant  cr\'  from 

the  inmates  was  not  "  Shut  the 

il()or!"l)ut  "Open  the  door  I" 

Our   little    cabin    was  a  _L;reat 

success,  and   untler  its  sheltc;r 

the  hercest  blasts  of  tlu;  arctic 

Storm  Kintr  could  not  reach  us. 

Two  auroras  were  st:en  on 
December  8th,  and  the  moon 
was  cominL(  back  to  us  ai;ain. 
After  eleven  days'  absence,  we 
saw  her  silver  ^low  oxer  the 
cliffs  back  of  Red  Cliff  House, 
and  her  lii^ht  fell  on  the  north 
shore  of  the  bay.  Two  days 
later,  she  was  with  us  again 
in  full  brilliancN'. 

On  Decemljer  19th,  we  had 
driftini:^  snow,  and  a  strong^ 
wind  that  lasted  all  niij;ht  until 
late  the  following-  afternoon. 
The  wind  drifted,  and  packed 
the  snow  until  it  was  almost  as 
hrm  as  marble.  'I'his  I  thoui^dit 
aui^ured  well  for  our  sledi^in^- 
trip  on  the  Inland  Ice  in  the 
sprin^r.  On  December  21st, 
we  saw  a  brilliant  meteor  in  the  north-eastern  sky, 
descendinu^  vertically,  and  a  little  later  a  met(;or  with 
red  and  ijcreen  trail  was  seen  over  the  cliffs  back  of  the 
house,  travelling'  west,  about  half-way  to  the  zenith  and 
with  a  sliofht  downward  anirle.     December  2  ist  was  the 


MEGIPSU. 


4 


11 


f  ■  -^ 


';>f 


j  '[I 


« 

■ 

:l 
1 

1 

L 

1 

f 

i 

ill 

1''  y 

i( 

'!  ■ 

' 

) 


Mi  i 


<  i 


164        Northward  over  the  "(jrcat  Ice" 

sliortL'st  clay  of  the  year  at  home,  ami  the  hoys  orave 
thr(;L'  cluuirs  hy  way  of  (Micoiira^cnu'iU  to  tlic  sun. 
which  was  now  In'i^nnninL;"  to  rctturn  to  us. 

\\'(j  did  not  (|uitc  (;scai)c  ihv.  /^//'/oc/c/o  or  (irccn- 
land  doL^-  disease,  a  dread  discjrder  that  at  times  has 
threatened  to  roh  the  poor  natives  of  one  of  their  most 
vahiahle  Resources.  It  was  prevalent  in  South  Green- 
land over  thirt\'  }('ars  a^o.  and  when  it  attacked  the 
doL^s  of  the  Arctic  lli^hlandtM's,  Dr.  1  la\'es  was  unable 
to  buy  the  sledge  teams  he  recpiired.  Xo  remtnly  has 
been  discovered  for  the  dist^ase,  though  fortunatel)-  its 
ravaires  are  now  small.  Its  victims  betra\'  their  de- 
ranja-ment  by  howling-  antl  snapping-,  and  refusing-  all 
nourishuKMit.  The)-  often  die  of  convulsions  on  the 
day  of  the  attack.  Annowkah's  do^-  went  wild  with 
the  malady,  and  before  the  fact  was  discovered,  and 
the  doo'  killed,  she  had  bitten  and  manL-letl  two  of  mv 
younu^er  doL;s  so  terribly  that  in  spite;  of  Dr.  Cook's 
best  endeavours  we  lost  th(;m  both.  I  )ous  had  a  most 
important  \rdv\.  in  my  i)lans,  and  I  was  very  s()rr\-  to 
lose;  the  two  animals.  Their  skins,  however,  L;a\e  me 
material  for  a  nice  pair  of  trousers. 

I^(;fore  December  arrived,  I  had  (juite  a  colony  of 
native  work(n"s.  i\Ie_L!;^ipsu  and  other  women  were  busy 
chewing"  and  sewin^'  skins.  "  r\ather  Tom  "  and  An- 
nowkah  wt;re  scrai)inL;-  skins.  "  T'ather  Tom  "  also 
made  himself  very  useful  about  the  house,  sweejjiuLj^ 
the  floor  and  putting;  thing's  in  order.  He  oftc;n 
remarked  that  \\v.  wished  to  oro  home  with  us  when 
we  returned,  but  he  chauL^ed  his  mind  before  summer. 
"  Fatht;r  Tom,"  on  the  whole  the  most  remarkable  na- 
tive we  met,  deserves  more  than  a  ])assinLi-  word. 

He  was  Ikwa's  brother,  and  his  name  was  Kvoah- 
padu.  We  called  him  "  K)o  "  for  short,  and  I  nick- 
named him  "  blather  Tom."  His  brother  brought  him 
to   us   from   his  home  in  Omanui  late   in    November, 


Throui^h  the  Circat  Night 


lO: 


Ot 


and  he  at  oiilh;  became  a  tixluri:  at  Red  Cliff  Hon  ;. 
Active  and  willing',  ea.4Ci'  to  he  ot  service,  reailiU"  un- 
derstandiiii^-  us  when  other  natives  faih-d  to  conipre- 
hentl,  hi;  soon  workeil  his  way  into  our  i^ood  ^^races. 
He  took  upon  himself  the  care  of  the  lari;"e  .oom, 
sprang"  for  the  hroom  \Vhenever  he  saw  th(;  least 
dust  or  litter,  and  told  the  other  natives  they  must 
not  hrino-  dirt  in- 


.-^ 


to  the  palace  of 
the  "(ireat  White 
Man."  He  said 
his  brother's  i^loo 
was  uncomfort- 
able for  him  be- 
cause it  was  so 
small  ;  moreover 
his  brother  talked 
too  much,  and  his 
verbosit)"  was  a 
weariness  to  the 
tlesh.  So  K  y  o 
asked  if  he  'nioht 
sleep  on  our  th)or, 
and  I  accordint^iy 
oave  him  a  couple 
of  blankets  and  let  him  curl  himself  uj)  at  ni_orht  in  a 
corner  of  the  b'njc  room.  In  the  morning-  he  would 
carefully  fold  his  blankets  and  deposit  them  in  an 
emi)ty  box  outside. 

One  dav  there  -  ame  to  us  from  a  little  settlement 
to  the  north,  a  widow,  Klayu,  and  her  three  daugh- 
ters. The\'  were  with  us  oiiK'  a  few  da\s,  but  this 
was  lono-  enouu^h  for  Kxo  to  become  enamoured  of  the 
widuw  ;  and  one  star-lit  December  noon.  K\'o  sud- 
denly discovered  iu;  had  business  south,  and  went 
away  with  her.      He  told  us  he  was  L^oinnr  foj-  his  deer- 


KYOAHPADU. 


i 


],/  f 


1 66 


Northwiucl  o\L'r  the  "(jrcat  Ice 


•  ^   I  : 


I        ll 


n? 


skins    iiul  tliat  he  woiikl   return  after   ten  siini//>n/is 

(sleeps). 

It  was  nearl\'  ten  times  ten  siuuipa/is  Ix-fore  we  saw 

his  oily  face  a^aiii.       I  ie  seemed  wvy  ill  at  ease  when 

he  re-a|)|)eare(l  at. 
\<(id  CI  ill"  House 
on  a  Miisierin^' 
March  (la\'  ;  and 
a  little  later  the 
widow,  now  K\()'s 
wife,  re;ich<'tl  the 
camp  with  her 
danL;ht<-rs.  They 
settled  down  at 
\<v(\  Cliff  and 
matle  it  their 
home  until  we  de- 
parted on  the  /\i/(' 
in  August. 

W  hil('  Kyo  was 
away  we  heart! 
some  remarkable 
stories  about  him. 
I'ew  s})oke  well  of 
him.  I)y  most  of 
the  natives  he  was 
hated  and  fearetl. 
It  was  said  that  he 
had  murdered  a 
man  and  that  he 
had  twice  been  a 
also  that  he  was  an 


Y~7  /"'/rTi-^-i'V/'Tr'T-i  J'l^'T'  f 


THE    TIDE    GAUGE. 


widower,  having-  killed  his  wives 
anoakok  or  medicine-man  of  n^reat  power. 

He  was  not   the  same   man  after  his  return  to  us 
Perhaps   it  was  because  1 
confidence    by    remaining;- 


le  thought  he  had  lost  my 
away    so   lon_L;".      We   dis- 


rhrou'-h  the  (ircat  Ni'-ht 


'.^ 


.■*>' 


lo: 


c{)\cn'(l  that  he  was  siihjcct  to  tits  of  uiicoiUroHahlc- 
aiiL^cr,  when  he  sciMiicd  ahiiost  insane  ( )nc('  or  twice 
in  thi'se  naroxvsnis  lie  s(\crcl\'  cut  iiis  wife  \  ct, 
hittr,  as  my  driver  on  my  two-hinulrecl-anil-lifty-mih: 
sledL^^e  trip  around 
In.Liietield  C.  ulf, 
he  was  most  ol)e- 
dienl  and  \'ery 
attentix'e  to  thi; 
w  ants  hoth  of 
Mrs.  I\.'ar\-  and 
m\  self. 

W'hiU?  Astri'ip 
and  I  were  away 
on  our  ice-caj) 
j  o  u  r  n  e  \'  to  tlic; 
Arctic  ( )  c  e  a  n  , 
Kyo.  as  hecanK.'  a 
mi^ht}'  iiuo^akok, 
often  went  into 
trances  and  saw 
\isions,  d  11  r  i  n  l;' 
wliich  the  Lzreat 
expanse  of  the 
I  n  1  a  n  d  Ice  was 
spread  Ijefore  liis 
spirit  11  a  1  ^aze; 
and  after  lie  had 
retiirnetl  to  his 
tleshl\'  tal)ernacle 
he  would  rei^ale 
Mrs.  Peary  with  stories  of  having'  se(Mi,  lar  to  the  north, 
a  s()htar\-  kobluiiali  (white  man)  plodcHnL;-  slowh'  and 
painfully  southward,  and  that  this  wayfarer  was  not  th(.' 
kapitausoak  (myself).  His  reputation  as  ;i  mighty 
auoakok    was    damasked    be)'ond    repair    when    I    re- 


VERHOEFF    READING    TIDE    GAUGE. 


/ 


« 


I 


fHltflTTlMhM 


'('i      ,.*'' 

;;|" 


E    ^'-i 


n 


'  I 


i68        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

turned  in  sjjite  of  his  predictions  of  disaster.  Just 
before  I  came  hack,  he  had  tiireatened  to  kill  his  wife 
and  her  nearh'  L^rown  dauL^hter,  and  the  poor  women 
were  so  terrified  thcit  thc;\'  lied  to  a  distant  s(.-ttlement, 
and  he  did  not  hnd  and  in^luce  them  to  return  to  him 
for  several  weeks. 

To  return  to  our  work  in  Red  Cliff  House.  Dr. 
Cook  experimented  with  seal-oil  lamj)s  for  melting  ice 
with  excellent  results ;  and  every  tlay  hnnii^dit  him 
other  tasks,  if  indeed  he  did  not  have  his  hands  full 
photo<^rai)hinor  and  measurini;'  his  "  Huskies,"  as  the 
boys  familiarly  called  the  natives,  while  X^.'rhoeff, 
Gibson,  and  myself  Iniilt  and  put  in  commission  a 
self-re^isteriuL;;-  tide  L;auL;e  which,  on  November  30th, 
was  erected  out  in  the  dark  and  silent  cold  to  record 
the  resistless  rise  and  fall  of  the  Arctic  Ocean.'  At 
this  time,  the  thickness  of  the  icc'  in  the  ha)'  at  the 
tide-i;au!^(?  hole  was  twent\-six  inches.  When  a  li_i;ht 
was  shown  at  the  hole,  nnriads  of  shrimi)s  came  to  the 
surface,  and  as  the  lii^ht  was  turnetl  away  and  the 
water  stirred,  phosphorescent  ilashes  a[)i)eared. 

Saturday  was  designated  as  general  cleanino-  day. 

'  My  device  for  leLjiNteriiiL;;  tlic  wi'.iter  tides  was  ereeted  at  our  "  llre-liole,"  an 
ojieiiini^  in  the  bay  ice  ju'-t  (iui>ide  of  tlie  ice-iont.  'i'liis  liule  was  icept  open 
tlirouL^iioiit  tlie  \\iiUer  to  afford  a  supply  of  waiet  in  tlie  escnl  of  tire. 

'I'iie  tide  !:;auge  consisted  of : 

l''ir>.t,  a  rii^id  trijiod  of  spruce  scantlinL^s  erected  o^er  the  liole,  its  feet  frozen 
into  holes  cut  in  the  ice.  To  one  siile  of  tiiis  was  atlaclieil  a  \ertical  plank 
some  twenty-two  feet  Ioiil;,  with  feet  and  tenths  niarkeil  upmi  i', 

Sectiud,  a  heavy  >tone  lowered  throu_L,di  the  hole  to  the  bottiun,  and  from  it  a 
stout  co|)])er  wire  pas^inLj  up  through  the  hole  over  a  pulley  in  the  top  of  the 
tripod,  then  over  another  at  the  top  of  the  graduated  i)laid<,  thence  down  the 
face  of  the  plaidc  to  a  lead  counterpoi>e,  to  which  wa--  fastened  an  index  and 
guide  jilaving  ujion  two  wires  strung  fruni  top  t.i  liiittnni  of  the  plaid<. 

The  anchor  ami  wire  l)eing  fixed,  and  the  framework  ri-ing  aiul  falling  with 
the  ice  under  the  inlluence  of  the  tide,  the  movement  was  indicated  w  ith  pre- 
cision by  the  index  ])as>ing  over  the  graduated  scale,  (.'leats  attaciied  to  the 
scale  enabled  VerhoelT,  who  made  the  tidal  ob-ei\atioii>,  to  read  the  highest 
range  of  the  spring  tides  with  ease. 

This  device  gave  thorough  satisfaction,  though  in  very  low  temperatures  it  re- 
quired constant  care  to  keep  the  rapid  dejiosition  of  frost  from  the  vapour  of  the 
open  hole  from  clogging  the  pulleys  and  index.     (See  cut,  p.  166.) 


Through  the  Great  Nii;ht 


i6g 


On  that  day,  immediately  after  coffee,  the  stovepipe, 
stove,  and  stove-hole  were  thoroui-hlv  cleaned.  All 
beddins^  was  then  taken  fro!"!i  the  bunks,  and,  when 
the  weatlier  permi*^ted,  carried  outside  to  air.  The 
entire  room  was  overhauled,  and  the  floor  thorouirhlv 
swept.  Every  Saturday  nij^ht  each  member  of  the 
party  was  required  to  take  a  bath. 

On  December  3d,  I  cut  out  the  first  sleepinu^-baLjf, 
and  in  a  day  "  Uais)-  "  (  Me^ipsu)  had  it  nearly  hnished. 
Verhoeff  and  I  devoted  ourselves  to  keeping'  the  tide 
g'aus^e  in  runnuiL^  order.       The  slope  of  the  bottom 


"RED   CLIFF    WAS   SINKiNG    INTO    A    HUGE    DRIFT." 

was  a  little  less  than  one  inch  per  foot,  and  apparently 
the  motion  of  the  ice  was  more  rapid  here  than  it  was 
at  Fort  C()nL!;^er. 

Red  Cliff  was  sinking-  into  a  hu^c  drift  that  almost 
buried  it  from  view.  On  December  9th,  my  s(.'am- 
stresses  bej^an  work  on  the  first  deerskin  koo/cfa/i,  or 
jacket.       The   last  skin   in   my  stock   had    now   been 


«A 


/, 


fit 


/ 


m   ^ 

f 

\\ 

1 

-■■ 

'-n 


I/O        Northward  over  the  '*  Great  Ice" 

chewed,  and  all  the  skins  were  ready  to  be  macU;  up 
into  irarments.  I  completed  a  sledj^e,  December  i  7th. 
We  took  a  good  deal  of  outdoor  exercise,  practisint^ 
on  snow-shoes  and  ski,  visitinj^  the  iceberij;'  for  ice, 
which  was  melted  for  the  water  we  used,  antl  atterdinjj^ 
to  the  fox-traps. 

Astri'ip  and  I  made  two  or  three  odometers  and 
these  were  used  in  measurinj;^  distances  about  Red 
Cliff. 

The  natives  were  cominir  and  Li^oin^-  all  the  while. 
My  boys  irreverently  applied  nicknames  to  (|uitt;  a 
number  of  them.  Three,  for  instance,  were  known  as 
"The    Priest,"     "  The   Villain,"  and    "  The  Smiler," 

()win_L^  to  ])hysical  pecu- 
liarities, 'i'he  X'illain,  it 
should  be  said,  was  per- 
fectly harmless.  'I'iicn 
there  was  Ahnin^ali- 
nah  ( the  moon  ),  a  \nn)V 
weak-minded  fellow. 
These  native  oentlemc'.i 
one  e\eninLi'  had  an  atii- 
letic  contest  with  their 
white  friends,  which 
showed  the  members  of 
my  i)arty  to  be  superior 
to  the  Kskimos,  both  in 
strength  and  a::rilitv. 
Meij^ipsu  and  Annowkah,  who  earh-  in  the  winter 
made  a  short  visit  to  their  home  at  Nerke,  returned 
with  a  youn_L,r  Lj^irl  named  Tookumim^wah.  Me^ipsu 
told  us  that  a  bear  had  visited  their  hut  and  eaten  one 
of  their  seals.  Tookuminjj;'wah,  whom  we  now  saw  for 
the  first  time,  was  a  twelve-vear-old  oirl  and  one:  of 
the  prettiest  youno-  women  amom^  the  natives.  Her 
father    had    recently    been    drowned    by    an    ooosook 


THE    SMILER. 


Through  the  Great  Nii'ht 


171 


(bearded  seal).  She  went  to  work  sewiiiL;-  under  the 
guidance  of  *'  Daisy,"  and  was  married  before  we  re- 
turned home. 

We  really  had  no  time 
during-  the  winter  niorht' 
to  "-row  tired  of  the  dark- 
ness  or  to  wearv  of  our 


surrouncunofs. 


During 


the  winter   all    the   men 
of    m\-    party     emulated  I 
one  another  in  the  effort  | 
to  produce  the  best  prac-i 
tical  sledge.      Modelling! 
the  sledges  in   a  general 
way  on   the    McClintock 
pattern,  I  found  we  could 
safely  reduce  the;  weight 
two-thirds    or    more.       While 


AHNINGAHNAH. 


McC 


mtock  s    sledges 
weighed  one  hundred  and  twenty-fixc  pounds  or  more 

apiece,  I  found  we  could 
turn  out  sKulges  of  an 
('(|ual  carr\-ing  capacit)-, 
weighing  onl\-  thirl\-tive 
to  forty-eight  j)ounds. 
I'^xperiments  with  sleep- 
ing-bags, too.  resulted  in 
a  complete  change  of 
equipment  in  this  re- 
spect. Our  sleeping-bags 
were  (evolved  from  actual 
experience  in  sleeping 
out-of-doors  during  the 
winter  night.  My  assist- 
ants entered  heartiU"  in- 
to the  work  of  preparation.  I^2ach  was  eager  to  work, 
and  all    made  suggestions  of  value.      Every    minute 


TOOKUMINGWAH. 


I 


V 


'•>! 


I 


it " 


I  h 


»      C}. 


(if 


i    f> 


f  >. 


Sll 


t ,  f 


172 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice 


detail  of  our  preparations  was  scanned,  discussed, 
and  criticised.  1  he  activity  of  mind  and  expendi- 
ture of  physical  eneri^^^y  which  all  this  called  for, 
helped  to  keep  us  well  in  body  and  <"heerful  and  san- 
guine in  temper.  We  did  a  i^ood  deal  of  reading. 
I  had  a  very  complete  arctic  library,  and  this  was 
chiefly  in  demand.  The  fact  that  we  were  living 
under  arctic  conditions,  whetted  the  appetite  of  my 
boys  for  records  of  Arctic  exploration.  All  these 
books  were  eagerly  devoured  for  the  story  they  con- 
tained, the  adventures  they  recorded,  and  the  useful 
hints  we  might  derive  from  them.  JSomc^how  we 
could  not  make  our  ideas  of  the  country,  the  natives, 
the  winter  night,  the  cold,  the  storms,  or  the  hard- 
shi))s  agree  at  all  with  those  of  some  predecessors 
who  had  spent  a  se'ason  not  very  far  from  McCormick 
Bay.  Viewed  in  the  light  of  our  own  experience, 
some  things  we  read  seemed  to  us  unjust,  particularly 
in  respect  of  the  hapjjy.  simj)le-minded  natives,  with 
whom  our  relations  were  so  friendly  and  who  were  so 
helpful  to  us  ;  some  things  seemed  exaggerated  ;  and 
some,  in  spite  of  our  willingness  to  believe,  took  on 
the  aspect  of  pure  romance. 

Aside  from  our  study  of  the  natives,  they  afforded 
us  considerable  diversion.  Ikwa.  my  chief  Eskimo 
hunter,  derived  intense  delight  from  imitating  the 
sounds  of  our  language,  and  his  use  of  English  was 
very  amusing.  Megipsu,  or  "Daisy,"  was  particu- 
larly bright,  and  gave  us  much  information  as  soon  as 
we  were  able  easily  to  exchange  ideas  with  her. 

Megipsu  was  the  head  seamstress  by  virtue  of  her 
superior  skill  and  rapidity.  Discarding  her  clumsy 
sealskin  thimble  for  one  of  American  make,  she  deftly 
plied  the  shiny  implement  of  her  trade.  Any  garment 
of  her  manufacture  was  honestly  made.  The  seams 
were  warranted  not  to  rip,  and  they  were  neatl)'  made. 


i 


fe 


[ 


I 


Through  the  Great  Night 


^7Z 


the  stitches  beinjj^  even  and  so  close  toj^ether  that  the 
thread  entirel)'  hid  the  skin  l)eneath  them.  Tcxjkuin- 
ins^wah,  the  twelve-}  ear-old  beauty  of  the  tribe,  was 
also  an  industrious  little  seamstress.  No  thoughts  of 
the  cominu^  matrimonial  event,  w-hich  was  to  iji^ive  her 
a  walrus  hunter  and  an  i<;loo  of  her  own,  impaired  her 
efficiency  as  assistant  tailoress.  Okl  Sairey  Gamp's 
eyesiL,dit  was  none  of  the 
best,  but  we  made  her 
useful  repairiuL,^  i^ar- 
mc;nts,  and  other  miscel- 
laneous work  ;  and  her 
tji'arrulity  seemed  to  help 
beo^uile  the  hours  of  la- 
bour. Altoj/ether  I  s^ave 
emi)l()yment  to  seven 
seamstresses,  includinjj^ 
Ikwa's  wife  Mane,  and 
Kessuh's  wife  of  t  h  e 
same  name,  who,  how- 
ever, was  with  us  only 
a  short  time.  The  wo- 
men bad  never  heard  of  an  eiLi;-ht-hour  law,  and  chevM"- 
fully  acquiesced  when  our  necessities  rec^uired  them 
to  sew  from  ten  to  twelve  hours  a  day  and  even  longer. 
It  was  the  busiest  winter  they  had  ever  spent,  for,  be- 
sides our  sewing',  they  had  the  work  of  their  own  house- 
holds to  perform.  Patches  were  needed  on  the  ij^ar- 
ments  of  their  husbands  and  little  ones,  and,  thouL;h 
their  culinary  methods  w^ere  not  elaborate,  food  had  to 
be  prepared.  Meg'ipsu,  "  The  Daisy."  however,  was  my 
most  reLj^ular  and  constant  seamstress,  and  as  she  was 
with  us  nearly  all  the  time,  the  larger  part  of  the  sew- 
in_i^  was  done  by  her. 

My  photographic   work   was   confmc^d   tlurin^f    the 
darkness  almost  wholly  to  ethnoloi^ical  sul)jects.     As 


SAIREY   GAMP. 


/ 


f 


U  ''lU 


'I 


(I 


y 


m      ', 


^■^ '  1 


I 


H   ( 


l( 


h'  ^ 


1     ; 


'  1 


174        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

soon  as  my  Innuit  friends  hci^an  to  come  to  us,  we  set 
al)out  takinu^  measurements  and  photographs  of  them. 
Dr.  Cook,  who  had  special  charL,^e  of  the  ethnolos^dcal 
researclies,  made  anthropometrical  measurements,  dur- 


ADULT  MAN. 
Flash-light. 


ADULT   WOMAN. 
Flash-light. 


ing  the  winter,  of  seventy-five  individuals,  and  I  took 
a  complete  series  of  photographs  of  the  same  persons, 
comprising  portraits,  and  front,  side,  and  rear  eleva- 
tions in  the  nude,  of  each  subject. 


; 


Through  the  Great  Night 


/D 


4 


On  one  side  of  thu  stove,  near  tlie  partition  sepa- 
ratint^  Mrs.  Peary's  apartment  from  the  main  room.  I 
stati(jned  myself  to  handle  the  camera.  On  the  other 
side  was  Matt  manipula^inij;-  the  tlash-lis^dit.  I  )r.  Cook 
would  pose  the  subject  at  the  other  end  of  tlu:  room, 
and  near  at  hand  was  a  table  at  which  he  recorded  his 
anthr()[)oloL(ical  measurements. 

It  was  interesting^  to  observe  the  modest)-  both  of 
the  women  and  the  men.  They  c(uild 
not  understand  at  first  why  1  desired 
to  take  their  pictures  in  a  nude  condi- 
tion, and  I  am  not  sure  that  they  ever 
^i(ot  a  very  clear  idea  of  the  matter. 
I  told  them  that  we  wished  to  compare 
their  bodies  with  those  of  other  people 
in  the  world,  and  it  was  not  lonjj^  before 
some  of  them  grasped  the  idea  so  far 
as  to  decide  that  our  work  was  in  the 
interest  of  a  perfectly  laudable  and 
proper  curiosity.  At  first,  however, 
some  of  them  asked  Dr.  Cook  if  I 
wanted  the  information  he  obtained  for 
the  purpose  of  makini;'  other  people  ! ! 

The  fiash-li<rht  work  never  failed  to 
be  a  subject  of  lively  L^ossip  in  the  na- 
tive community.  All  the  fresh  arrivals 
were  told  what  was  before  them  almost 
before  they  had  unhitched  their  doiji's, 
and  as  soon  as  a  native  was  photo- 
graphed, he  would  invariably  tell  of  the  experience  to 
an  admirinjj;'  group,  narrating-  every  minute  detail. 

When  the  sky  was  clear,  p.nd  we  had  the  moon  with 
us,  the  arctic  niL];-ht  was  one  of  remarkable  beauty. 
In  that  dry  atmosphere,  the  moon  and  stars  seem  to 
shine  with  a  deg'ree  of  power  and  brilliancy  unecpialled 
in  temperate  latitudes.     We  saw  many  auroras,  but 


BOY. 

Flash-light. 


'i 


'M 


1"^ 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


»  1 1 


I     / 


;ifl 


lit 


i  i 


% 


V 


\ 


they  were  cc)mi)aratively  faint,  and  not  so  i)ronounc(.'d 
in  outline-  and  hriL^htncss  as  those  observed  in  South 

Cireenlantl. 

Xoveniher  14th  was  a  tine  day,  and 

in  the  afternoon  and   ni^lit  the  moon 

was  very  brilliant.      The  temix-rature 

rose  t(j  se\eral  decrees  above  ze-ro,  and 

the     house     was 

opiJr  e  s  s  i  \-  e  1  y 

warm  all   d  a  v. 

On   the    I  6  t  h  , 

a  full   moon   cir- 
cled,   an  d    t  h  e 

scene    w  a  s     in- 

tensel)'  brilliant, 

the  moon  hanir- 

inL(  in  a  cloudless 

sky,   and   A  retu- 
rn s,  Aldebaran, 

and  t  h  e   Great 

I)il)per    shininn;- 

with  remarkable 

brilliancy.      The 

ice-bliid<  at  the 
head  of  the  bay  was  plainly  visi- 
ble in  the  moon's  ra\s,  and  the 
new  ice  at  the  ed^e  of  the  water, 
formed  by  the  oxerllow  of  the 
recent  sprint-  tide,  skirted  the 
shores  of  the  bav  in  a  1:)and  of 
siK'cr. 

Manv  of  our  winter  davs  were 
like  this,  and  they  were  the 
heydays  of  our  arctic  experi- 
ence. wh(Mi  we  enjoyed  with  the 
keenest  zest  our  out-of-door  work  and  exercise.      At 


GIRL. 

Fl.asli-light. 


CHILD. 

Fhsli-liylit. 


i 


Through  the  Great  Night  17; 

these  times  foot-races  and  ski  and  snow-shoe  practice 
v.ere  the  iK)i)ular  amusements,  and  it  would  have  been 
worth  while,  had  it  been  possible,  to  obtain  a  (,rood 
photo.irraph  of  the  party  on  some  occasions  when  com- 
ini^r  down  th(;  slopes  behind  Red  Cliff  on  their  ski  ;  one 
of  them  now  and  then  bur)ino-  his  head  in  the  snow 
while  his  ski-shod  feet  were  tlourishini^  in  the  air. 

Astrup  was  our  professor  of  the  art  of  ski  travel 
which  he  had  learned  in  Norwa\-,  the  home  of  ski-run- 
nin|r.  1  he  members  of  the  party  made  oood  progress 
under  his  able  tuition,  thouoh 'they  did  not  become 
experts  in  coastin^r  or  climbino-.  It  was  much  er  'er 
to  u;et  the  knack  of  snow-shoein<j^  than  to  master  the 
art  of  ski  travel,  thou^i^h  on  the  level  we  were  all 
soon  able  to  handle  the  ski  fairly  well. 
^  The  weather  was  pleasant  about  two-thirds  of  the 
time  throuo-hout  the  lon.<r  niuht.  Storms  and  a  low 
temperature  marked  not  more  than  one-third  of  the 
arctic  winter. 


il. 


I 


'<         I. 


i'* 


:t  '■  i 


r  u 


'il 


CHAPTICR   VI. 


riikorcii    iiiK  (;'<i:at  xKiirr  [Continuci). 


if 


Kki)  Ci.im-  in  IIu|.ii,av  Athkk— ()i  k  Ciikisimas  Dinnkr— I!.\n(,.cf.i'  to 
nir.  \ait\t>,— A  Luti.k  Twii.kiiit  at  Noon— Visitors  kuom  Distant 
Cai'K  Vokk— Mrs.  I'i  arv's  Xkw  Xv.wi'^  Rk.ckition— I.onckst  Sni.w-Sturm 

"I-  TliK  WiNTKR— Ri:i)    ClTM.    NKARI.V   lifKIKD— A   MooNI.ICIIT  I,ANI  .SCA  I'l:— 

An  Alarm  ok  Imkk_Xai  lyp,  Storv  ok  Di.ack  Snow— lirsv    Timks— Kx- 

PKRIMKNTS  WITH  ImR  (  I.oTH  INO— CoI.DKST  DaVS  OK  TIIK  \'KAR— A  ScolT 
lo    IT  IK   I(  K-CaI'. 


' 


I 


.'  i  ' 


I*  ■  ^1 

!      •-.If' 


i 


I  fi 


'I.,  fit 


I*  J  i' . 


i- 


ii 


I 


yf.  li 


(I) 

X 

< 

z 
z 
< 


CHAPTKR  VI. 


rilKorCIl     Tin;    CKIIAI'     NK.III'    [Continui,/). 

Or  l\  resources  did 
not  pennil  us  to 
make  the  merry 
Christmas  time  a  partieu- 
larl\-  hrilHaiit  exciil,  l)Ut 
there  were  genial  warmth 
and  h^ht.  kindly  feeliiiL^ 
[M(\  merr\-makinL;"  at  \\iK\ 
Chff  I  louse  as  well  as  in 
other  parts  of  the  world. 
(  )n  the  da\-  hefore  ^/hrist- 
mas.  Astrup  and  I  )r.  '  ';)')k 
clearetl  up  the  kiri^e  room,  put  up  two  L'nion  llai^s 
and  one  of  the  sledi^-e  llai^s,  festooned  the  ceiling  \\\\.\\ 
mos(|uito-nettini4',  and  made  wire  candlesticks  and 
placetl  candles  all  about  tlu;  room.  At  nine  o'clock, 
Christmas  e\-e,  I  concocted  a  generous  milk-punch, 
and  this  with  cookies,  nuts,  raisins,  and  candies 
made  a  xcry  acceptahle  cxcninL;'  lunch.  After  the 
jjunch,  the  Christmas  numbers  (  of  the  previous  year)  of 
//ar/>c'r\\  I'')  auk  Leslies.  /^i/(\  PiilL\  the  l.outloii 
AVre.v.  and  Loudon  (irapJiic  were  brought  out,  and  we 
filled  the  eveniuL;'  with  conxcrsation  and  such  music 
as  our  talent  afforded.  At  midnight,  Mrs.  I\'ar\-  and 
I  opened  a  box  tlu;  Danish  Cioxcrnor  at  Ipernavik 
had  Li'iven   us,  and  found  it  tilled  with  Christmas  com- 


IM 


T<iriiaiM 


;ii! 


If 


r 


182        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

fi^s  and  devices  packed  by  the  (iovernor's  fair  wife. 

^Other  boxes  and  let- 
ters   were    opened, 
and  then  in  a  bottle 
c/f    Sauterne    we 
Irank  to  our  friends 
at  home,  at  (iodha- 
ven,  and    Ui)erna- 
vik.      I    then   went 
out    and    put 
my     trouble- 
some     baljy, 
the  tide-!j^au_L|,-e 
anchor,     back 
in    its   bed  at 


the  bottom 
of  the  ba\' 

A     !l^  o  o  d 

deal  of  ni)- 
time  for 
three  days  past 
had  been  spent 
at  the  tide-gaui^e 
hole,  keepinij^  the 
apparatus  in 
working-  order. 
No  one  made 
haste  to  arise  on 
Christmas  morn- 
ini^,   and    it  was 


CHRISTMAS  MENUS. 
Uesigned  by  Astri'ip. 


Through  the  Great  Night 


I '^3 


t- 
.1. 

t; 

is 
1- 
l- 
It 
It 


noon  bfjfore  Red  Cliff  House  was  astir.  P>om  ti.at 
time  until  4.30  i-.m.  we  were  occupied  in  preparini^ 
the^  Christmas  dinner.  Then  we  sat  down  to  ou7 
holiday  spread  and  discussed  a  hill  of  fare  which,  with 
arctic  hare  and  venison  ior  /^icccs  (A-  rcs/s/ancc,  would 
not  have  dis^rraced  a  table  at  Delmonico's. 

Two  dozen  candles  in  their  wire  candlesticks  beamed 
mildly  upon  us,  and  these  with  our  uiickaniiiuv  suk- 
kiua/i  (baby  sun),  as  the  natives  had  christene'd  the 
Arcrand  burner,  oave  us  a  cheerful  d<  or^e  of  illu- 
mination. Astriip  had  a  very  pretty  suri)rise  for  us 
in  the  shape  of  cleverly  drawn  menu  cards,  each  ap- 
propriately desiu;ned  to  fit  a  member  of  the  party. 
The  cards  of  I)r.  Cook  and  Mr.  X'erhoeff  were  par- 
ticularly apropos.  Dr.  Cook's  card  was  -^^raced  with 
the  presentment  of  a  lono-haired  person  with  hands 
on  his  hips,  critically  examining-  the  pose  of  a  poor 
nude  "  Husky,"  as  the  whah^rs  call  the  natives,  im- 
prisoned in  a  white  screen  ;  the  tail-j)iece  was  a  bottle 
with  skull  and  cross-bones.  On  W-rhoeffs  car.:  .  p- 
peared  the  tide  i^^au^e  and  sev(,Tal  spring-  balancers 
supporting;  the  menu,  while  at  the  bottom",  the  alarm 
clock  and  bull's-eye  lantern,  personified  as  two  danc- 
ino^  imps,  hit  off  happily  the  lively  dance  which  they 
led  our  faithful  meteorological  observer.  (iibson 
was  seen  brinoino-  a  deer  into  camp,  and  Matt  was 
"  shooting- "  a  row  of  Huskies,  this  beini;-  his  favourite 
expression  when  my  doers  L(ave  notice  of  a  new 
arrival. 

With  the  cocktail  that  inauourr.ted  our  i^-ood  cheer, 
there  was  naturally  but  one  toast — "  Merry  Christmas 
to  all!"  l)ut  when  the  Sauterne  was  broached  I  pro- 
posed two  toasts  :  one.  "  To  tlie  lla^"  over  us,  th(;  brii^ht- 
est  that  waves,  with  the  hope;  tlKit  our  little  party  may 
be  so  fortunate  as  torsade!  something-  to  its  lustre"; 
the  other,  "  To  the  lovinu-  and  perhaps  anxious  hearts 


] 


r; 


hi ' 


u 


1 1 


in 


H  ' 


184       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

at  home,  with  the  hope  that  some  of  those  mysterious 
occuh  at^encies,  which  we  do  ikU  as  yet  understand, 
may  inform  them  how  comfortable  we  are." 

These  toasts  we  drank 
standing-.  At  seven  r.  m. 
we  rose  from  the  table, 
and,  as  soon  as  the  din- 
ner debris  was  cleared 
away  and  a  venison  stew 
couh!  be  made,  I  invited 
our  Husky  friends  to  a 
Christmas  dinner.  Arn- 
i^odoj^-ibsah,  otherwise 
'"The  Villain."  did  the 
honours  in  my  place  at 
the  head  of  the  table. 
MeiTipsu,  otherwise 
"The  Daisy,"  poured 
The   comj^any  was   ar- 


KUDLAH    ("MISFORTUNE"). 


tea    in    Mrs.    l^!ar)'s   place, 
ram^'d  as  follows  : 


Arngodo^ibsah,  "  Tlie  Villain," 
0 


Inaloo,  "  Mrs.  Villain."       0 


Myall,  "The  While 

Man. 


0     Kudlah,   "Misfortune." 


0     Annowkah, 

"  The  Veiling  Husband." 


Megipsu,  "  The  Daisy." 

I  doubt  if  anywhere  a  more  unique  or  joyous  party 
ever  sat  down  to  their  Christmas  dinner.  A  free  use 
of  soap  and  water,  under  the  skilful  direction  of  Dr. 


I 


.'> 


^   !s 


il.   i     : 


Through  the  Great  Night 


iS  = 


MYAH    ("THE   WHITE   MAN"). 


Cook,  had  removed  all  dirt  from  the  visible  portions 
of  their  l)odies ;  and  an  eveninjj;'  dress  of  sealskin 
coats  and  bearskin  trousers  for  the  gentlemen,  and 
foxskin  jackets  and 
trousers  for  the  ladies, 
made  all  look  very  pre- 
sentable. Considerinir 
their  limited  experience 
at  Christmas  dinners, 
they  ac([uitted  them- 
selves very  well.  The 
Youni;-  Miisl)an(',  it  is 
true,  was  a  little  boister- 
ous ;  and  Myah  endan- 
gered  the  intei^rity  of  his 
eyes  by  persisting'  in 
lioldinL!^  his  knife  and 
spoon  both  at  once  in 
his  right  hand,  and  then  usin^;  his  fini^^ers  for  convc^y- 

ini;  food  to  his  mouth. 
Me  also  was  so  rude  as 
to  stand  u[)  and  (endeav- 
our to  harpoon  with  his 
fork  some  choice  [)ieces. 
in  the  stew.  Me  desisted, 
however,  when  he  was  re- 
proved by  The  Villain, 
who,  i)erhaps,  was  not  so 
much  offended  by  M  yah's 
nj^ross  breach  of  eti([uette 
as  desirous  that  all  should 
have  a  fair  chance  at  the 
stew.  The  Villain  l)ore 
up  bravely  under  his  re- 
sponsibility and  served  the  stew  very  creditably.  The 
Daisy  also  sipped   her  tea  with  considerable  grace. 


"THE    VILLAIN." 


I. 

.!' 

■C. 

■>'■ 

} 

i' 

u 


j»4f 


i  » 


U'i 


il'      I 


ri 


i86       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

Tuktoo  (venison)  stew  formed  the  first  course,  bis- 
cuit and  coffee  the  second,  and  candy  and  raisins  the 
dessert.     Then  the  boys  amused  themseh'es  at  games 

with  the  Eskimos  until 
a  hite  hour.  Akos^^ether 
we  had  a  very  enjoyable 
Christmas, 

The  next  evening;  I 
went  with  Dr.  Cook  and 
Matt  to  visit  some  of  the 
fox-traps.  We  found  one 
sprunij;-  and  covered  with 
l)l()od,  and  one  dej^rived 
of  the  bait,  but  not 
sprung-.  Three  others 
were  not  disturbed.  We 
had  a  race  comin^j;"  back, 
and  I  thought  I  actpiitted 
myselt  very  creditably,  considering;  that  it  was  my  first 
foot-race  since  the  breaking-  of  m\-  lei;. 

After  Christmas,  it  was  clearly  apparent  that  the 
noonday  twilight  was  increasing".  ()nh-  those  who 
have  lived  for  many  weeks  in  darkness,  or  whose 
briirhtest  da\s  have  been  illumined  onlv  bv  the  cold, 
rellected  beams  of  the  UKJon,  can  realise  with  what 
ea^Ji'erness  and  pleasure  every  indication  of  the  sun's 
returninu;-  li^ht  and  power  was  welcomed  at  Red  Cliff 
House.  At  nine  a.m.  on  the  28th,  the  cliffs  back  of  the 
house  were  outlined  in  the  twili!^du,  and  at  noon  the  op- 
posite shore  of  the  bay  was  illumined  In'  thr  reflection. 
On  the  evnino;-  of  December  29th,  it  besj^an  snow- 
ino;"  and  kept  it  up  till  early  next  mornino',  when  a 
foot  more  of  snow  had  been  added  to  Red  Cliffs 
winter  coverins^.  There  was  a  fresh  breeze  from  the 
head  of  the  bay  ami  the  thermometer  rose  rapidly. 
At  nine  I'.m.,  it  was  i  i|-°  F. 


INALOO. 


Throucrh  the  Great  Niufht 


IS7 


Thursday  the  31st  was  a  wild  scjually  da)-,  the 
wind  falHiiij^  in  heavy.  L^usts  from  the  bhiffs  l)ehind 
us.  The  temperature,  however,  was  hiyh,  risini,''  to 
-f  1 6^°  F.     Everyone  was 


^      ^^1 

f 

W'^'^ 

1 

^ 

m 

^K^v    ^ 

H 

m 

w 

Piyj 

^^^^^^^^^^B^^l 

%j^lj^^W.\ 

v'*" 

•*" 

"mB^r^l 

..--'^■C^.*.^ 

4   ■  .  .■ 

4,  ■ 

M^Emk^^M 

OOTUNIAH. 


busy  in  various  ^^repara- 
tions  for  New  Year's. 
Mrs.  Peary  sent  out  invit- 
ations to  an  "  at  home"  in 
the  south  parloiu"  of  Red 
Chff  House  "  from  ten 
r.  M.  December  3 1  st,  1 89 1 , 
until  1892."  Wliile  at 
dinner,  the  unmistakable 
barking-  of  my  two  New- 
foundland  do^s  an- 
nounced the  arrival  of 
more  Eskimos,  and  when 
dinner  was  over  they 
were  admitted.  I  found  them  to  be  our  okl  ac('(Uaint- 
ances  :  Kessuh  of  Netiulume,  with  his  wife  Mane  and 
their  rhild;  Kyowito,  an  UL;i\'  i^iant  from  Xarksarsomi ; 
Ootuniah,  his  brother,  onl\-  a  trifle  smaller  and  less 
u_L,dy  ;  and  Fahtarah  and  Akpaliasuah.  two  )()unj4' 
men  from  Cape  York.  ( )ur  New  Year's  pre[)arati()ns 
l^ave  me  but  little  time  for  th(;se  \isitors,  though  the 
oiant  promptly  informed  me  that  he  had  a  fine 
narwhal  horn,  several  reindeer  skins,  ami  otlun-  articles 
to  trade,  and  that  he  expected  to  carr\-  awa}'  a  i^un. 

It  may  seem  surjirisim;"  to  some  of  m}'  rc^atUjrs  that 
durinij;'  the  winter  ni^ht  we  should  have  \isitors  coming; 
from  their  homes  nearly  two  hundrc-d  miles  away. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  cjuite  a  number  ot  Eskimos  from 
Cape  York  and  vicinity  came  to  Red  Cliff  Mouse 
duriuL!;'  the  winter  and  sprintj;-. 

Promptly  at  ten  r.M.,  our  j^uests  bej^-an  to  arrive  and 
a    very  pleasant  evening   was  enjoyed.     The   young 


I 


1 


i    ^' 


I 


1: 


1   1 


Hi' I 


J  *j 


I  ' 


'I 


s 

i  ; 


i 


1 

■  >     \ 


1 88 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


men  from  the  United  States  seemed  i^reatl}'  to  aj)- 
preciate  a  lunch  of  cookies,  douL^^hnuts,  and  ice-cream  ; 
and  as  the  c!r/v.k  ran^'  out  the  midnight  hour,  a 
generous  cocktail  sparkled  and  seven  glasses  clinked 
to  a  happy  New  Year,' 


THE    LIBRARY. 


Mrs.  Pearv.  in  a  hlack-and-vellow  tea-o^own,  plv- 
ing  a  palm-leaf  fan,  was  an  object  of  silent,  open- 
mouthed   wonderment    to    our    Eskimo    friends,  who 


'  I. est  the  reader  sluniUl,  fruni  my  description  nf  our  various  fete-days — 
Tlianksgiviiij;,  C'luistnias,  and  l)irtlidays — L^ain  a  very  erroneous  idea  nf  the 
quantitv  of  stiiiiuianls  used  by  my  Expedition,  it  is  necessary  for  me  to  state 
the  facts  clearly. 

I'ersunallv,  as  a  matter,  not  of  conscientious  scrujiles.  but  of  judL:;ment  and 
taste,  I  am  neither  a  drinker  nor  a  smoker;  and  I  have  always  selected  men  for 


': 


i 


V  % 


Throusj'h  the  Great  NiiJ'ht 


IS9 


wt'R,'  luokiii^;'  on  and  listcninLi^  from  the  other  room. 
As  if  in  envy  of  all  this  lii^ht,  warmth,  anil  cnjo)- 
m<:;nt,  the  wikl  wind  outside  howleil  and  shrieked,  and 
the  snow  swirled  in  blindinL;-  sheets  about  my  nearl\- 
buried  house  ;  and  \t't  the  thermometer  registered 
-+-3°  F.  to  -\-\2"  V.  No  such  picture  as  this  hatl  e\-er 
Ijefore  broken  the  dark  and  cold  of  the  arctic  ni^ht. 

Our  New  Year's  morning'  colfee  was  served  an 
hour  late,  and  then  Gibson  antl  X'erhoeff  laid  out  a 
course  for  oin*  athletic  i^ames,  which  came  off  in  the 
midst  of  a  furious  wind. 

These  L^ames  consisted  of  a  hundred-yards'  dash,  a 
himdred-vards'  race  backwards,  and  a  luuKlred-\ards' 
four-lei^ifcd  race.  They  were  hotl\-  contest(;d.  but 
owinijf  to  the  fact  that  the  starter,  .Matt,  and  th(?  iucbj^e 
at  the  finish  (m\self)  were  particularl\-  interested  in 
trying"  to  keep  warm,  and  also  that  I  had  much  dif- 
ficulty in  reco|,(nisinL,^  in  the  pitch-black  darkness,  the 
different  contestants,  the  actual  time  of  these  events 
is  still  very  uncertain.  I  Ijelieve  that  one  event  was 
awarded  to  each  of  the  contestants  to  prevent  any 
unpleasant  feelinjj;'. 

At  three  I'.m.,  we  had  our  New  Year's  dinn(;r,  and 
we  made  the  occasion  a  joyous  one  for  my  Kskimo 
dependants,  by  feedinij^  them  on  eider-ducks  and  rein- 
deer le^s.      The  next  day,  the  storm  abated  somewhat, 

my  parties  \\'lio,  as  far  as  their  wunl  of  iiniKiur  lmuM  he  rciicil  upon,  used  neither 
toliaccD  nor  spirits.  I.i(ju<>r  siinuld  iiave  no  ph^te  in  an  arctic  ration,  eiliier  fur 
caiiij)  or  lield. 

Vet  on  sucii  special  occasions  a-<  tiiose  above  noted,  notiiini;  .^ives  more  /est 
to  tlie  feast,  or  iielps  to  lift  tiie  day  out  of  the  even  monotony  of  tiie  days  on 
eiliier  side,  tiian  a  nuld  cocktail  or  a  t^la^s  of  lij^iit  wine. 

I'he  liipior  supply  of  niy  Mxpedition  consisted  of  half  a  do/en  bottles  of  brandy 
and  wliiskey,  and  a  dozen  pint-  ot  Sauterne. 

Some  of  this  supjily  u-as  u>ed  externally,  ar.d  some  was  taken  back  on  board 
the  AVA'  at  the  end  of  twelve  months 

Tobacco  is  e([ually  or  more  objectionable  in  arctic  work.  It  affects  the  wind 
endurance  of  the  individual,  particularlv  in  low  temperatures  ;  adds  an  extra  and 
entirely  unnecessary  item  to  the  outti'.  ;  and  vitiate-  the  atmo-phere  of  tent  and 
house. 


I 


I  ifi 


I90        Northward  over  the  "  ( Ircat  Ice 


II  & 


Hi'  ' 


the  temperature  hej^an  to  fall,  and  nu-  xisitors  departed. 
Befort;  Kessuh  went,  Ik-  told  ni(;  tlu;  latest  luiiuinL( 
story.  It  seems  that,  e\-eii  in  the  darkness  of  the 
winter  ni^ht.  he  had  harpooned  a  hij;'  walrus  in  a 
crack  in  the  ice  nt'ar  the  open  water  off  Xetiulume, 
and  after  a  i)rotract(.'d  stru^L^lc;  lasting-  for  hours,  hatl 
succeeded  in  killin  •;  the  monster  and  making"  him  fast 
to  th(.' ice  ;  .    rer  •    i,ch  Kessuh  returncxl  to  the  \illaLre 


THE  WRITING-DESK. 


for  assistance,  and  many  willing-  hands  j^ot  the  animal 
out  of  the  water,  and  added  the  welcome  store  of  fresh 
meat  to  their  supply.  In  proof  of  his  story  Kessuh, 
Othere-like,  showed  me  the  fresh  and  blood\-  tusks  of 
the  walrus. 

I  find  this  entr\-  in  my  journal  of  January  2d  : 

"  The  holida)s  have  come  and  L;one  at  Red   Cliff 

House  and  we  have  entered  on  the  new  year.      Will 

it  brino-  a  fruition  of  my  hopes  ?     The  \-ear  itself  will 

tell.      It  seems  to  me  as  if  everything-   is  favourable. 


i 


Th 


roLU'' 


h  the  (iTcat  Xi'-ht 


i()i 


.1 


., 


f 


This  aflcnioon  Mrs.  Vcary  aiul  I  walked  to  our  west- 
ern fox-traps,  and  as  we  moved  alon^  o\er  the  erisj) 
level   surface  of  tlu;  hay  ami   thoiii^hts  of  the  e\|):  n- 
ences  of    ni\'  part)'  came  crowding'  \\\nm   me.  1   con.' 
not  hel|)  wondering-  if  we  had  really  hit  upon  the  most 


THE    BED. 


favoured  locality  or  an  especially  mild  season,  or  both  ; 
or  if  all  my  predecessors  had  unconsciouslv  exaL^L''<^r- 
ated  their  hartlships  and  the  ri_L;ours  of  the  climate." 

Industry  knew  no  pause  in  my  arctic  workshop. 
Astrup  was  sj)littin_L:;  <^^h  runners  for  the  second  doLj;- 
sledi^e.  Dr.  Cook  and  Ikwa  wert;  husy  on  the  up- 
ri^^hts  and  cross-bars.      I  was  rippini;-  a  narwhal  horn 


i 


I 


:ii 


19-        Northward  (ncr  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

into  four  strips,  rou^hiiij^f  it  into  shoes  for  the  slccl^cs. 
and  cuttiiiLi  deerskin  trousers  to  keep  "  1  )aisy  "  husy 
with  her  needh'.  Ikwaand  dihson  wen;  niakini;'  ixor)' 
and  liorn  knees  to  l)race  the  sledLiC.  Annowkah  was 
fashioniiii^  ixory  rin^s  for  the  doi;'  harnesses.  "  Dais)-" 
was  sewing',  ^lane  was  scrajjiuL;-  a  skin,  and  Mrs. 
Pear\'  was  workiiiL-'  and  softeninij-  nu'  kook'tah. 

On  iMonchw,  |anuar\-  i  itli.  the  weather  had  cleared 
conipletel\-  and  the  result  was  almost  indescribable. 
The  snow  landscape  bathed  in  the  brilliant  liL;ht  of 
the  nearly  full  moon,  the  silverw  misty  distances,  the 
low  stratum  of  vapour  ovcir  tlie  baw  reminded  me 
of  moonlight-scene  eff(.*cts  in  mother-of-pearl.  The 
southern  twilij^ht  at  noon  was  bright,  and  in  th(;  even- 
ing- the  temperature  fell  to  — 35|"  V .  \^(i^  Cliff  1  louse 
smokt^d  in  the  ic\'  air  from  (;\ery  ventilator.  The 
humbler  dwellings  in  the  \illai^^e  were  completely 
snowed  in.  Work  on  the  skin  clothing-  progressed 
well,  and  I  finished  a  sample  sleejjino-  outfit  wein'hino- 
only  ten  pounds. 

The  next  day  the  temperature  fell  to  — 40.\"I\,and  the 
dazzling-  effect  of  the  full  moonlight  on  the  o^reat  white 
expanse  of  snow  was  beautiful  be\ond  description. 

January  13th  was  diversified  by  a  small  tire  scare. 
Astriij:*  knocked  a  box  of  matches  from  a  shelf  on  to 
and  around  the  stove.  They  immediately  took  hre 
in  every  direction,  and  Dr.  Cook,  who  had  the  nii^dit 
watch  and  who  was  asleep  in  the  bunk  nearest  the 
stove,  sprancr  out  in  his  sleei)inij;--ba_ij^  and  fell,  half- 
awake,  on  the  matches  on  all  fours,  just  in  time  to  en- 
counter, full  in  the  face,  a  pailfu.l  of  water  which  I  had 
thrown  from  the  opposite  direction.  The  second 
pailful  followino;-  fast  upon  the  hrst,  convinced  Dr. 
Cook  of  the  efficiency  of  the  fire  department  and 
caused  him  to  retreat  in  confusion.  The  third  appli- 
cation of  water  extinijuished  the  blaze. 


rhroLb'h  the  Great  Niijht 


'.-^ 


i^' 


1^);^ 


January  15th.  the  noon  twilight  was  rcllcctcd  from 
the  southern  faces  of  the  her^s.  aiul  Cape  l\ol)ertson 
across  the  l)a\'  had  a  steely  li,i(ht  that  was  not  from 
the  moon.  The  temperature  was  still  hoUlinjL;'  its  own 
at  -40°  V. 

M(;!^npsu  told  me  of  a  heav}'  fall  of  Mack  dust  or 
soot  duriuL;"  ;mi  east  wind  at  Cajx-  N'ork  about  a  year 
aoQ  which  fri;^iitened  the  natives  seriously.       In  this 


THE    VVASHSTAND. 


neiiji'hhourhood  the  fall  was  lighter.  1  could  L^et  no 
further  particulars,  hut  as  to  the  general  truth  of  the 
story  I  have  littk;  doubt.  It  seems  stronj^ly  to  indi- 
cate the  [)ossibility  of  volcanic  dust  havinij^  reached 
that  res^non,  pi:rhaps  from  some  northern  area  still 
unexplor(_;d. 

Jan  lary  26th.  the  south-west  sk\'  i^lowed  for  hours 
with  rose  and  saffron  tints.  Arcturus  and  the  (ireat 
Dipper,  however,  werc^  still  visibh-  at  mitlda\-.      After 

lunch,  Mrs.  Peary  and   1  went  out  on   snow-shoes  to 
13 


i, 


\i 


*' '  11 


i^     'l\ 


1^4        Nortluvaiil  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

the  i^raiKl  Amphitheatre  liern',  alM)iit  one  and  a  half 
miles  lUstaiit,  in  the  chrectioii  of  the  l"i\-e-(ihicier 
Valley. 

Over  the  ice-cracks  aloiij^''  the  shore  and  around  the 

I  berL^s,    the   fro/en  water 
I  vapour,    risiiiL;-    throuL;h 
'  the  cracks,    was  makinj^ 
wri'aths  of  mist. 

Ill  the  eviMiinLC,  y\rnL,m- 
doblaho's  three  d()ns,and 
another  I  did  not  recoLj^- 
nise,  came  into  our  vil- 
hv^c  with  a  rush,  tlunr 
traces  drai^L^nnL,^  behind 
them.  About  an  hour 
later,  N ii)sanjj^wah  of 
Keati,  and  Talnvana 
from  the  head  of  In^le- 
field  Gulf,  came  in  with 
three  more  doij^s.  Tahwana  hatl  fallen  into  the  water 
and  their  sledi^e  had  been  left  behind  on  ihv.  ice.  I 
^ave  them  both  a  hot  rum  punch  and  they  turned  in 
on  the  lloor. 

Nipsanjj^wah  was  the  brother  of  Annowkah,  the 
"  Daisy's"  husband.  Tahwana  lived  with  his  family 
and  one  other  far  up  the  head  of  Inj^ieheld  Gulf.  Nip- 
sanjLi^wah  was  a  powerful,  quick,  athletic  man,  while 
Tahwana  was  a  (}ueer,  piq-eontoed,  little  fellow  with 
a  defect  in  his  eyes,  and  a  walk  like  that  of  a  bantam 
rooster. 

I  learned  from  my  visitors  that  there;  was  still  open 
water  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Hakluyt  Island  and  be- 
tween it  and  Northumberland  Island  ;  and  also  that 
the  ice  in  the  Sound  between  our  camp  and  Northum- 
berland was  very  thin  and  in  places  dan-^erous,  the 
thick  snow  protecting-  it  from  the  low  temperatures 


NIPSANGWAH. 


1,1 


'Himiii^h  the  (ircat  Nii^lu 


'05 


and   the  water  wcariiv^  it  a\\.i\   hciiratli.       Al    Kcahr 

and  Nctiuliiinc  there  was  Hitle  snow  and  hiL;h  winds 

had  pri-vaih'd.       At  the  lieatl  of  Ini^let'u'ld  (iulf  there 

was  a  L^ood  deal  of  snow.      Merktoshar,  tlie  one-eyed 

hunter  of   \  (till  III  me, 

and   Kiidlah  had  kiHed  a 

yoiinL;'    Ix'ar   near   Cape 

Parrw     It  was  ctncouraLT- 

in<4'  to  see  seven  fine  doi^^s 

at  th(.'  door  and  to  know 

that    th(;    drc'aded  ///>- 

lockU\    or    do*^    dis(;ase, 

had  done  [)ractically  no 

damaL;(!   to   the   animals 

in   our   n(ML,dil)oiirh()()d. 

l''riday  mornini^;,  I'\'l)- 
ruary  I2ih.  Astrup  and  I 
starte'd  with  our  ski  and 
snow-shoes  and  fur  suits 
to  take  a  look  at  the  ice-cap  beyond  Tour-Mile  Valley. 

W'e  left  Red  Cliff  House;  at  9:30  a.m..  and  took  at 
once  to  the  bay  ice.  As  the  three  si)irit  thermometers 
were  readini^  -44"  F..  —43°  T-.  :ind  —44"  I\,  I  wore 
m\' kooletah  with  the  hair  inside.  Only  a  few  hun- 
dred yards  from  tlu!  house,  however.  I  beoran  to  tind 
it  too  warm,  and,  pullimj^  it  off,  stood  nudt;  ab()\-e  the 
waist  and  turned  it  with  bare  fuiLji^ers.  The  sleeves 
gave  me  some  trouble,  and  when  tht;  job  was  com- 
pleted, my  tuigers  had  lost  sensation,  but  otherwise 
I  was  warm  enough. 

After  reachiuLT  a  hcMLfht  of  about  two  thousand  feet, 
Astrup  stopped  for  a  rc-st  and  I  went  on  ahead  to  the 
ice-caj).  I  kept  on  to  an  elevation  of  about  three 
thousand  fec^t.  Then,  as  it  was  g(;tting  dark,  I  threw 
myself  down  in  my  furs  with  m\'  lu,\;.d  pillowed  upon 
Jack,  who  had  followed  me,  and  la)   for  ten  or  fifteen 


TAHWANA. 


\i 


196        Northward  over  the  "Great  lee 


ir 


ml 


minutes,  with  th(;  rustlinL,^  of  the;  icc'-caj)  wind — by  that 
stran<'"c  contrariety  of  suii"L:estion  which  I  have  fro 
quently  noted  in  the  Arctic  reL,nons— hearing-  me  far 
away  to  the  ledtj^es  of  brown  cHffs  famihar  in  \()uth, 
with  the  weaves  of  summer  seas  murmuring  at  their 
base. 

Rising  to  return,  I  drove  my  alpenstock  witli  com- 
parative ease  through  about  two  feet  of  snow  (the 
last  winder's  fall)  to  the  icy  surface  of  the  previous 
summer.  Into  this  I  drilled  about  one  and  a  half 
feet  and  then  could  get  no  ^"eper. 

Returning,  I  rt-joined  Astriip,  and  as  the  big  yellow 
moon,  surrounded  by  a  rose-c(»loured  halo,  climbed 
over  the  cliffs,  we  reached  Red  Cliff  House  at  seven 
r.M.,  after  a  fifteen-mile  tramp. 

A  few  days  more  and  the  sun  would  rise. 

Constant  occupation,  first  in  the  little  fittings  about 
the  home,  then  in  the  construction  of  ski  and  sledges, 
daily  exercise  out-of-doors,  the  visits  of  the  natives, 
the  pleasant  breaks  of  Thanksgiving  and  the  Christ- 
mas holidays,  congenial  companionship  and  the  best 
of  food,  had  carried  us  quickly  through  the  sombre 
darkness. 


1 1' 


M, 


»i--^'*'' 

' 

Mh                                                                                             '1 

,;:::';  ,.••     .  :       -.      /.  - 

.•■*     -'  .'    i,        r" 

i"*^                                          ^^                        ^ 

-%;'-:>-.    ,■  .  : 

'   '   -"       ■                                           >--.» 

^1      A 

K'  '    •  -                                         " 

^  9m 

hhk      ' 

^y '  'T  rHi 

i^HTi 

'      ^^i^^^           ite,'-: 

■     •%      ■   wPR 

mil  i.uji-^rf'^^jp^—   —    .=^-..- 

-^-'  ^EhV 

#.     , 

'1%-^ 

r  •■ 

k'^'"'  '. 

..  ■  ?■',■■            '-j 

{\        L 


CH.\PTER  VII. 


IMPRISONKl)    ON    THF,    ICK-C'Al'. 

Urn. dim;  a  Snow  Ir.i.oo  on  ihk  Ick-Cat  kor  i  hi  -inrisk  I'artv — Ciimiu 
iNi;  io  riiK  Ici:-C'ai',  o\KR  20C0  Fkki-  aiiovk  thk  Si;a— A  Fi  Kior-.  Mcjrm  — 
AwAKiiNKi)  iiY  riiK  Roar  of  niK  Wind  and  Dkii-i— Oir  Snow  Hi  r  Faikn 
away— Exposed  io  thk  Fi.kments  in  oru  Si.i-.i-.i'1Nc:-I!a(;s  \vn  11  \ormN(; 
ON  nr  r  Undkrclothini;— Oir  Ftr  (Iarmknts  Dkki'  i-nder  riii:  hKiii  — 
Unaiu.k  to  Stand  A(;AiNsr  the  Cade— A  Day  and  a  H  \i,f  rkfore  we 
CAN  Extricate  ocrsei.nes — Sfnrise— Ri/nRN  10  Red  Ci.ii  i-— The  (amp 
nearly  Washed  away  isy  the  Fcriois  I-ohn— Torrents  of  Rain  in 
February— Putting  Things  Shii'shape  A(;ain. 


.f 


■I 


I .» 


I  y. 


I 


w 


i 
i  ill 


I 


1 


111 


!i  ■ 


t 


<., 


V, 


KAMONAHPIK. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


r 
f 

fly 


IMPRISOXKI)   OX    Tlil-;   K'E-CAP. 

T}  1  li  ice-cap  IdcnoiuI 
I'Our-Milc  X'allcy 
l)cins^  too  far  away 
for  my  contemplated  out- 
ing to  see  the;  sun's  return, 
I  sent  Gibson  and  \  er- 
hoeff,  on  Saturday,  I'"eb- 
ruary  13th,  as  I  have 
already  mentioned,  u[)  to 
the  ice-cap  this  side  of 
the  valley,  to  build  a  snow 
igloo,  for  the  sunrise  party. 
They  returned  at  night,  reporting  the  walls  of  the 
igloo  finished,  but  they  were  unable,  after  repeated 
attempts,  to  construct  the  roof.  Gibson  reported 
seeing  sunlight,  to  the  west,  on  the  highest  peak  of 
Northumberland  Island.  The  l)arometrical  d(,'ter- 
minatlon  of  the  height  of  the  igloo  above  sea-level 
was  2050  feet. 

At  9:20,  the  next  morning,  Dr.  Cook,  Astrup, 
and  I  started,  dressed  in  our  furs,  the  Doctor  and 
Astrup  with  deerskin  kooletahs  and  trousers,  and  I 
with  deerskin  kooletah  and  dogskin  trousers.  We 
all  wore  kamiksand  woollen  socks.  The  Doctor  and 
I  took  snow-shoes,  and  Astrup  his  ski.      Our  impedi- 


f 


200        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

nuMita  consistrd  of  reindeer  slee[)ins^-i)aL,^h  and  hoods, 
peniniican,  cranb(;rry  jam,  biscuit,  tea,  suL(ar,  and 
condensed  milk,  for  two  days  ;  alcohol  lamp  and 
boiler,  canteen  of  alcohol,  two  spoons,  wind  matches, 
shovel,  snow-knife,  hunting-knife,  aljjenstock,  camera, 
notobook,  aneroid  and  comi)ass,  swing  thermometer, 
maximum  and  minimum  thermometer,  candle  and 
watch,  the  Dahlirren  and  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences 
rtaL,rs,  and  Mrs.  Peary's  and  IMayde's  deds^e  banners. 
The  morniuij^  was  gloomy  and  cloudy,  and  looked  so 


THE  PAIK'    ;0  THE  ICE-CAP. 


unpromising  that  I  thought  if  tiai-'ly  probable  that  we 
would  spend  the  night  on  i;  m),  Li;:  more  likely  that  we 
would  carry  our  packs  up  and  return  to  sleep  at  the 
house,  i/oinLT  up  again  Monda^•  morning. 

We  crossed  the  snow-covered  terraces  between  the 
shore  and  the  foot  of  the  bluffs,  on  our  snow-shoes. 
Then  removing  them  we  clambered,  on  hands  and 
knees,  sometimes  over  bare  rocks  and  snow  patches,  to 
the  knife-edge  crest  of  one  of  the  eroded  trap  buttresses 
springing  from  the  main  bluffs.  A  tirm  and  gradually 
a -cending  snow-drift  capped  this  crest,  just  wide 
enougli  at  the  top  for  one  to  walk.      It  was  broken  in 


■:^1^K^ 


Im])risoncd  on  the  Ice-Gip 


20I 


two  places  by  nearly  vertical  traj)  huKlers.  Wc 
broii_L;ht  up  at  last  aj^ainst  the  face  of  the  abriijjt  sn')\v 
cornice  of  the  main  line  of  bluffs,  seine  se\-ent}-h\(,' 
feet  below  its  top.  U[)  this  marble  steep  the  1  )()Ctor 
cut  steps  with  his  shovel,  and  following;-  him,  we 
reachetl  the  thermometer  cairn  at  noon. 

When  about  half-way  uj)  my  swini^-  thermometer 
had  shown  +12  i'\.  and  the  current  temperature  of  the 
spirit  thermometer  at  the  cairn  was  -\- 1  2"  V.  I  reached 
the  top,  clad  only  in  my  boots,  trousers,  and  liL,dit  L;uern- 
sey.  My  kooletah  was  sluuij^  across  my  back.  I  was 
more  than  i^dad  to  hnd  my  broken  h'>^  all  rii^ht  ai^ain. 
Althoui^h  I  could  not  sprinij^  f.'om  it  (juite  as  (jiuckly 
and  vigorously  as  with  the  other,  it  jj^ave  mn  no  pain. 

At  the  thermometer  cairn,  we  put  on  our  snow- 
shoes  and  stretched  out  across  the  snow-tield.  ;\t 
1.50  r.M.,  we  reached  the  ij^loo.  At  two  I'.m..  the  swiuLj' 
thermometer  rej^isteredd- 1 6°  F..  the  temperature  of  the 
snow  bein^-  —4"  V.  We  immediately  proc(,'eded  to  roof 
in  the  igloo,  which  was  nine  by  six  feet  vvir.h  a  recurv- 
ing^ entrance,  the  walls  about  4^  feet  high,  and  the 
floor  the  last  summer's  icy  surface  of  the  ice-cajj.  about 
eig'hteen  inches  below  the  present  surface.  i  he  ski 
were  placed  leni^thwise  on  the  end  walls,  supp.ortr'd 
in  their  middle  by  snow-shoes,  interlaced  and  restinij^ 
on  the  side  walls. 

Then  a  flat  roof  of  snow  blo^  .  was  laid  upon  tlvii, 
and  the    roof  and  walls  chinl-  At  three   I'.m..  our 

house  was  finished.  The  tem^  craturc;  at  this  time  v  as 
+22°  F.  and  the  temperatun  f  the  snow  still  —4"  k". 
The  entire  sky  was  a  hea\  lead  colour.  The  out- 
lines of  Herbert  and  Nori  .  nberland  Islands  were; 
bareU  discernible,  and  the  hfcless  W'^ht  about  us  was 
of  such  a  character  that  it  was  impossible  to  form  an\' 
judjj^ment  of  the  size  or  distance  of  objects.  A  sinL;le 
snow  block  could  be  taken  for  a  snow  house,  and  our 


**:. 


,  "  J 


202       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

iL;i()(^   itself  at  a  little  distance  loomed  up  like-  an   ice- 
berL,^ 

Tile  house  beiuL,^  com})leted.  our  [)ac!:s  were  j)assed 
in,  the  sleepin_L;-l)a_L,^s  si)read  out,  and  I  immediately 
started  the  lamp  for  our  pot  of  tea.  Before  six  I'.M., 
we  had  eaten  our  supper  and  w'vrv  snuudy  stowed  in 
our  bai^s,  wearing-  only  our  underclothing-.  Our  fur 
trousers  were  folded  and  laid  under  the  upjxM- portion 
of  th(;  slee])inL,^-])a^'s.  and  our  kooletahs  were  pulled 
over  the    foot  of  the  bai^s.      We  could  hear  the  in- 


DIGGING  OUT. 


creasini;-  rush  of  the  wind,  which  had  begun  blowing 
just  as  we  got  our  packs  inside,  and  was  now  begin- 
ninL"-  to  drift  the  tine  snow  into  the  entrance.  At 
nine  p.m.,  the  temperature  in  the  igloo  was  -|-2  2°  V. 
and  the  barometer  read  24.40. 

When  I  awoke,  fme  snow  was  drifting  in  my  face. 
Lighting  a  candle,  I  saw  that  it  was  four  o'clock 
Monday  niorning,  that  our  entrance  had  drifted  full, 
and  that  the  wind  had  forced  n  small  hole  through 
the  end  wall  of  the  igloo,  through  which  the  drift 
was  pouring  in  a  stream  that  had  already  covered  to 


^'^w. 


Imprisoned  on  the  Ice-Cap 


^03 


a  dej)th  of  several  inclu.-s  th'.-  foot  of  in\-  slt'cj)iiiL;-bii!:^, 
and  tlu;  lu-ad  and  shoukk'rs  of  the  I  )octor.  who  was 
l)'inij;  in  tlu-  opposite  direction.  The  I  )()Ctor  turned 
out  in  a  hurr\'.  j)luL;^'e(l  uj)  the;  hole  with  snow,  and 
then  rexersed  the  head  of  his  ha^Lj^  so  as  to  lie  the 
same  as  Astruj)  and  myself. 

Attain  I  fell  aslecj),  only  to  be  a^ain  awaki-ned  \)y 
the  roar  of  the  storm  and  the  snow  drixin^'  in  m\-  face. 
Lookinn"  oxer  the  foot  of  my  hiv^,  I  could  just  see,  in 
the  faint  liij^ht  of  day,  that  the  cuttiuL;  drift  had  (-aten 


SUNRISE  CAMP. 

off  the  an^de  of  the  is^loo  where  roof  and  end  wall 
met,  had  completely  filled  tliat  end,  and  was  rapidly 
coverini:^^  us,  As  I  watched  it.  roof  and  wall  melt(;d 
awav  as  fine  sand  l)efore  a  water  iet  ;  and  1)\-  the  tiuK; 
I  could  aroust;  Dr.  Cook,  adjust  m\'  hood,  and  tighten 
my  ha_i;,  it  required  a  oood  deal  of  effort  to  force  my- 
self Uj)  through  the  sui)erincumhent  weight  of  snow. 
The  Doctor  also  succeeded  in  liheratiuL,'"  liimself,  hut 
Astriip,  who  was  lyin^-  on  the  other  side  of  the  i,L,doo, 
could  not  iret  free. 


\A 


J 


It  J'i 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

'IcIHiil;  l)r.  Cook  to  keep  a  hrcathin^'  hoU-  opiMi 
for  Aslrup.  1  rose  up  in  m\'  bai^',  forced  the  ski  apart, 
roHcd  out  over  the  wall,  ha_o"  and  all,  and  reached 
the  shovel  at  the  entrance,  then  rolled  back  to  the 
end  of  the  ii^ioo,  and  crouched  at;'ainst  the-  wall  on 
the  outside  to  i^'et  ni\-  l)reath.  Then  I  crept  around 
to  the  side  where  Astriip  was,  and  crouchini;'  before 
the  howliuL;'  wind,  tore  a  hole  throuL;h  the  sidct  wall 
and  freed  his  head  and  bod)',  and  with  the  Doctor's 
assistance,  pulled  Idni  out. 

Hen;  we  were  in  our  sleepin^-ba^s,  clad  onl\'  in 
our  underclothiuL;  and  with  our  fur  garments  and 
foot-j4"ear  buried  deep  under  the  snow.  We  could  not 
have  stood  up  before  such  a  _L;ale  if  we  had  tried. 
All  we  could  tlo  was  to  crouch,  half  sitting',  with  our 
backs  to  the  storm,  in  the  breach  1  had  made  in  that 
part  of  the  ii^loo  wall  which  was  still  standint;'.  We 
sat  there  hour  after  hour  until  nearh-  ni^ht,  when  the 
Doctor  and  Astrup  were  asj^ain  both  fast,  and  needed 
assistance  to  release  them  from  the  drift.  While 
performing-  this  work  of  necessity,  we  manaij^ed  to  dio|- 
from  under  the;  snow  a  little  pemmican  and  a  few 
bisciMt,  and  ate  them.  Astrup  then  wriij^g'led  alon^'- 
side  me,  and  the  Doctor  rolled  a  few^  feet  to  leeward 
of  where  the  house  had  i)een.  and  thus  nii^ht  settled 
down  upon  us. 

We  were  lyin^-  out  on  the  ice-cap  over  2000  feet 
above  sea-level,  wholh'  without  shelter,  on  the  toj)  of 
the  drift,  beneath  which  our  snow  hut  was  buried. 
The  snow  flew  past  us  with  such  a  roar  that  I  had  to 
shout  at  the  top  of  m\'  voice  to  be  heard  by  Astrup, 
whow^as  lyin;^  partly  upon  me.  After  an  hour  or  so, 
his  w(Mo;-ht  and  that  of  the  snow  became  oppressive, 
and  I  worked  m\self  loose  and  crawled  a  little  to  one 
side  and  to  windward,  into  the  wind  ditch  alonoside  the 
big  drift  o\  er  the  house.      Here   in  a  sitting-  posture, 


Imprisoned  on  the  Ice-Cap 


205 


with  hack  to  the  wind  aiul  sitlc  a_L;ainsl  the  drifl,  I  sat 
out  the  niL;ht.  1)\'  lowcrini;  ni\  chin  upon  ni\  I'rcast, 
I  could  keep  most  of  the  (h'ilt  out  of  ni\'  face,  and  \>y 
raisinj;-  ni\-  head  I  could  feel  r.iihcr  than  sec  the  two 
dark  j)r()strat('  ohjccts  close  to  me  to  leeward,  and  at 
intervals  shout  to  them  to  in(iuire  if  the)-  were  warm 
enough. 

( )ccasionall\    1  dozed  a  little,  hut  most  of  the   time 


;^y..*.    ..-*»«iil^^,^a^. 


."'lai.jr*'-^ .,::.. 


Vf 


•^ 


■*ii 


'■"M 


■*•* 


MOONLIGHT  ON  THE  ICE-CAP. 

I  was  studyinjj^  how  we  shoiikl  extricate  ourse-Kcs 
from  our  predicament  if  the  storm  continued  for 
several  days.  My  <rrcatest  source  of  anxiety  was  the 
fact  that  the  suddenness  with  which  we  were  comj)ell(;d 
to  free  ourselves  from  the  drift  had  left  our  outer 
clothinor  and  foot-i^ear  deep  imder  the  drift,  m)-  doe- 
skin trousers  beiuij;^  the  only  thinij^  that  was  hrouL^ht 
out.  These,  however,  and  the  shovel,  I  had  close  to 
me.  I  knew  that  we  were  L^ood  for  at  least  tw^ent}'- 
four  hours  Ioniser  in    the  bairs,  but  if  the  storm  con- 


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206        Northward  over  the  "(Ircat  Ice" 

tinuL'd  loiiL^cr  than  thai.  I  should  haxc  lo  lr\-  ami  (Hlj' 
out  a  koolctah  and  pair  of  kainiks,  and  '^ri  to  the 
house  for  clothiii!^-. 

I)o/itiL,''  attain.  I  suddenly  awoke  to  hear  a  rattliiiL,^ 
as  of  hail  against  ni\'  hood,  and  |)uttinL:'  im-  hand  out 
throuLj^h  tin;  sk.'eve  of  the  ha^'.  i^reat  (lro|)s  of  rain 
dro\-e  aj^.iinst  it.  freeziuL;  as  they  struck.  MoNiiiL;  in 
my  l)a_L,^  I  felt  that  it  iiad  stiffened  o^reatly.  hut  fortiui- 


SUNRISE  ON  THE  "GREAT  ICE." 

February,  iS()2. 

atcly  was  not  yet  fr(^zen  down.  Callini;'  to  the  boys, 
1  told  them  to  roll  their  ha^s  Li^entK'  from  side  to  side 
every  few  minutes  to  prevent  their  freezing'  down,  and 
then  anxiously  waited  developments.  The  continua- 
tion of  the  rain  would,  I  knew,  make  the  diooin^-  out 
of  our  clothint^  imjjossihle,  and  if  I  had  to  00  clown  to 
the  house,  I  shoukl  have  to  wear  the  uj)i)er  jjart  of 
my  hixij;  cut  off  for  a  kooletah,  m\'  doeskin  trousers, 
and   a   pair  of    reindeer-skin   sleepinj^-socks   which    I 


Iniprisoiictl  on  the  Ice-Cap 


207 


had  in  nu'  h.iL;  cover.  I  was  worse  ott  than  either  of  the 
others,  tor  the\'  had  on  eoniplctc  suits  ot  underwear, 
inchidin_L;  stock ini^s,  while  1  wore  on!)  an  undershirt. 

To  u^y  intmite  rehcf  thr  rain  did  not  last  much 
niort;  than  an  hour,  and  then  the  snow  resumed  its 
sway.  \'er\-  soon.  too.  the  wind  ceaseil  its  steady, 
monotonous  roar,  and  he^an  to  come  in  imcrmitlcnt 
stjualls.  'Idiis,  1  hail'.'d  with  delight,  as  a  si^n  of  the 
near  breaking  ot  the  storm.  1  fell  aslee|)  ai^ain. 
When  I  ne.\t  awoke,  I  found  the  openiiii;'  ot  m\  hood 
closed  with  halls  of  ic;-.  hut  thr  wind  was  much  I'ss  \io- 
lent.  and  the  intcr\als  hctween  the  L;usts  wrre  longer. 
Putting-  out  a  hand  and  tearing  awa\-  the  ice,  I 
looked  out,  and  to  ni)  delight  tound  moonlight  flood- 
ing" the  Inland  Ice,  the  moon  having  just  hrokcn 
throui^h  a  rift  in  the  hhick  clouds  oxer  llerhert  Isl- 
and. It  had  sto|)|)e(l  snowing;,  hut  the  wind  was  still 
whirlini;"  thcr  tine  snow  alon^"  the  surface. 

I  immediately  conveyed  the  j)leasinL;  intelligence  to 
the  boys,  and  learniiiL;-  from  the  Doctor  that  he  was 
cold,  I  L;'ot  over  to  hini  as  well  as  I  could  in  m\'  sleep- 
inLr-bair  and  curled  nnself  around  and  against  the 
head  of  his  ba^'.  to  windward.  This  expedient  did 
not  succecrd  in  making  him  more  comfortable,  and  as 
the  temperatiu'e  was  rapidU'  lowering"  I  rolled  back, 
L^ot  the  shovel,  and  succeedetl  in  diL,^^ino'  a  hole,  down 
into  the;  sn(nv.  I  then  jji'ot  the  Doctor's  bai;"  loose, 
[)ulletl  the  sleeves  out  of  the  frozen  crust,  adjusted  his 
hood,  and  lu;l|)etl  him  to  wri^^le  to  the  hole,  into 
which  he  tumbled  and  curled  himself  up.  I  then  placed 
m\-  trousers  ()\-er  his  head  to  keep  the  drift  oil,  and 
curled  myself  round  the  windward  ed^'e  ot  the  hole 
above  him.  I  was  \cry  L;lad  to  tind  that  the  complete 
protection  from  the  wind  thus  attorded  him,  together 
with  the  exercise  of  moxiiiL;-,  restored  his  temperature 
and  rendered  him  entirelv  comfortable. 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  HS80 

(716)  872-4503 


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2o,S        Xorthward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

III  this  way  wr,  la\  for  siAcral  iioiirs.  the  wiiul 
gradiiall)-  thiiiL;  away,  and  tiic  liL^lu  of  (la\-  incri-asiiiL^. 
I  )icn  as  Astriip  was  nion-  coni])l('tcl\'  dressed  than 
an\'  of  us.  I  re(|iiested  him  to  make  the  attemj)t  to 
dii;  out  our  clothini;.  I  was  ohh^cd,  liowescr.  to  540 
to  his  assistance,  and  hreak  liis  hai;  free,  clear  the  ic(; 
from  the  opening-  of  his  hootl,  adjust  it.  and  helj)  him 


THE  DENUDED  CLIFFS. 


to  a  sittinii^  posture.  In  doiiii;  tliis.  one  of  the  sleeves 
of  his  ba_i^  was  unfortunately  torn  off,  and  when  he 
beij^an  to  shovel,  his  arm  was  so  cohl  that  he.  could  do 
no  effective  work,  so  I  told  him  to  lie  down,  and  I 
took  the  shovel.  It  was  now  8:45  a.m.,  Tuesday, 
and  after  a  loni;;'  time,  and  with  much  trouble,  owinij 
to  the  hard  snow,  the  coltlness  of  my  hantls.  and 
the  difficulty  of  workinj^^  hampered   by  my  sleepinj^. 


Imprisoned  on  the  Ice-Cap 


209 


baij;",  I  duu^  out  a  koolctah,  a  pair  of  trousLTs,  and 
a  pair  of  kaniiks.  Astriip  then  i^ot  out  of  his  \yd^^  into 
these,  and  after  a  brisk  run  to  limber  himself  up,  took 
the  shovel  and  continuetl  the  work  of  excavation. 
The  temperature  at  this  time  was  -|- V'  I'-,  \vith  a  lii^ht 
breeze  blcnviuL^. 

As  soon  as  Astriip  had  du^j;  out  another  kooletah, 
a  pair  of  trousers,  antl  a  pair  of  kamiks.  I  sent  him  to 
help  Dr.  Cook  put  them  on.  The  1  )octor  was  now 
thorouL^hly  chilletl  ai^ain,  and  anxious  to  ^ct  out  of 
his  ba_L^,  so  that  he  could  warm  himself  with  exercise. 

While  he  did  this,  I  excavated  nu'  corner  of  the 
ijj^loo  and  t^^ot  out  the  stove,  tea,  su^ar,  and  milk,  and 
lit  the  lamp  for  a  i)ot  of  hot  tea.  It  was  now  i  1:45 
A.M.,  and  the  southern  sky  was  a  mass  of  crimson, 
rose,  purple,  and  ^reen  clouds.  There  was  one 
dazzlinLi;'  yellow  sjjot  where  the  sun  was  about  to 
burst  into  view.  I  pulled  the  Dahli'-ren  and  Acad- 
em\'  ensigns  and  the  sleth'e  banners  from  mv  bao 
cover,  shook  them  out,  fastened  them  to  the  ski  and 
alpenstock  as  Ha^staffs,  and  then  drove  these  into 
the  firm  snow.  At  that  moment  the  wintl  freshened 
and  the  bri_Li^ht  folds  of  our  banners,  the  fairest  in  the 
world,  tlew  out  into  the  sparkli'^v'  air. 

Then  the  yellow  sunlight  fell  upon  the  hii^hest  bluff 
of  Xorthumb(!rland  Island  west  of  us.  A  minute 
later  Cape  Robertson,  to  the  north-west,  blazed  with  a 
crown  of  L^iory. — and  then  the  ^reat  yellow  orb,  for 
whose  coming-  we  hatl  so  loULl^ed,  peered  over  the  ice- 
cap south  of  Whale  Sound. 

In  an  instant  the  snow  wav(  sof  the  Inland  let;  about 
us  danced,  a  sea  of  si)arklin^,  molten  j^old.  Neither 
i^okl.  nor  fame,  nor  aui^ln  can  purchase  from  mv,  the 
supreme  memory  of  that  moment  when  on  the  ice-cap, 
far  above  the  earth,  with  the  rustling-  of  tlic  Stars  and 
Stripes  in  m\-  ears.  I  lauL^hed  with  the  lauohin^  waves 


14 


2IO       Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

of  the  L^rcat  white  sea,  in  <^^reetinjL(  to  the  returninjr 


sun. 


Never  Ijefon-  from  tile  cK  solate  heiiL^^hts  of  the  (ireat 
Ice  had  man  or  lla:^^  welconKnl  the  breaking;  of  the 
lonued-for  ilawn  which  ends  the  (ireat  Xi.L;iu  of  the 
n(<rth. 

lor  many  minutes  we  watched  the  ^rlorious  (iodof 


EVERY  BOULDER  CASED  IN  ICE. 

Day  roll  alon^-  the  southern  ice-cap.  Then  we  turned 
to  our  hot  tea,  and  the  completion  of  the  work  of  di^r- 
ginij^  out  our  imp<'dimenta.  As  soon  as  I  had  tmishetl 
my  tea,  I  transferred  myself  from  my  baij  to  my  trav- 
ellin)::^  suit.  The  reader  may  imaL;"ine  the  pleasure  of 
this  performance.  My  dressin^^-room  was  the  Inh.ind 
Ice,  with  the  wind  blowiu!:;  and  the  thermometer 
standinL!^  at  3°  above  zero.      In  this  airy  and  expansive 


B    1- 


I  iiji  ij  I  _ 


Imprisoned  on  the  Icc-Cap 


21  I 


dressiiiLi^-room,  I  had  the  fchcity  of  cnu.-rLiini;-  from  my 
sleL'pinL^-haj^-.  chid  only  in  an  undcrsliirt.  antl  puHini^ 
on  a  frozen  pair  of  drawers  and  socks,  a  fur  coat  and 
trousers,  which  were  driven  full  of  snow,  inside  and 
out,  antl  a  pair  of  kamiks.  which  had  to  he  gradually 
thawed  as  I  forced  them  upon  my  feet.  Still  I  ditl 
not  feel  the  cold  ver\-  much,  prohahh'  hecaust;  havino; 
been  perfectly  warm  in  my  baj^  all  the  time.  I  q;ot  out 


"JOSEPHINE  HEADLAND  SWIMMING  IN  PURPLE  LIGHT." 

of  it  in  a  l(1ow  of  animal  heat,  and  with  sufficient  ro 
serve  of  stren^rth  and  warmth  to  carrv  mv,  throuLrh 
the  ordeal. 

When  once  the  fur  garments  are  (»n,  th(!  sensation 
of  warmth  is  instantaneous.  As  far  as  my  own  ob- 
servation jj^oes  with  reindeer-  or  doeskin  outer  cloth- 
inof,  no  matter  how  wet  the  underclothim/  or  inside  of 
the  fur  clothing-  may  be,  the  wearer  does  not,  evcMi 
while  motionless,  feel  the  cold  or  wind  in  any  ordinary 
temperature  of  not  lower  than  -25°?".  to  -30°  F. 


'(! 


2  I  2 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


i 


•  t 


fy 


The  work  of  excavation  completed,  we  tied  up  our 
packs  and  started  f(jr  the  house  by  way  of  One-Mile 
\'alley.  The  snow  was  so  firm  that  it  easily  supported 
me  u'ith  a  forty-pound  pack  on  my  hack.  The  force 
of  the  wind  had  been  terrific,  as  was  shown  b)-  the 
way  it  had  scooped  and  carved  the  surface  of  the  ice- 
cap, in  many  i)laces  down  to  the  ice  of  the  previous 
summer.  M)-  swin^-  thermometer,  which  I  had  buried 
in  the  snow  on  Sunday  afternoon,  was  scoured  out  by 
the  force  of  the  wind  until  only  two  inches  of  it  re- 
mained in  the  snow  ;  and  the  windward  side  of  the 
thermometer,  the  alpenstock,  and  the  Doctor's  snow- 
shoes,  which  had  been  driven  down  into  the  snow, 
had  a  coatini^  of  toui^h,  perfecth'  transparent  ice,  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  thick.  TVom  the  head  of  One- 
IVIile  V^alley,  the  surface  of  the  table-land,  all  the  way 
clown  to  Cape  Cleveland,  had  been  swt^pt  clean  of 
snow,  and  the  ujjper  ')ortions  and  sides  of  Herbert 
and  Northumberland  Islands,  Cape  Robertsc^n,  and 
the  north  shore  of  our  bay  were  nearly  denuded. 

We  went  rapidly  alono;  to  the  head  of  the  valley, 
and  down  the  firm,  steep  snow-drift  in  its  centre. 
When  not  ([uite  half-v/ay  down  I  was  surprised  to 
find  the  snow  covered  with  a  crust  of  opa(|ue,  cream- 
coloured  ice.  I'he  surface  of  this  ic(;-crust  had  been 
beaten  by  the  wind  into  the  form  of  amygdaloid,  or 
furnace  sla^-.  A  little  farther  down,  where  the  rush 
of  the  wind  had  been  api)arently  still  more  furious, 
the  snow  had  been  scoured  awa\  entirely,  and  the 
windward  side  of  every  boulder,  rock,  and  pebble  was 
cased  thicklv  in  ice,  sliLrhtlv  vellow-tinted  with  the 
fine  detritus  the  storm  had  scouretl  from  the  clifis. 

When  I  reached  the  surface  of  the  bay,  the  change 
was  startlino".  Instead  of  the  deep,  level  covering'  of 
soft  snow  which  was  there  four  days  before,  there  was 
now  over  only  a  portion  of   it  a  rai^Ljed  conglomerate 


I 


Imprisoned  on  the  Ice-Cap 


213 


of  ice  and  snow  six  inches  thick  at  most,  while  over 
fully  a  third  of  the  expanse  of  the  bay  the  snow  had 
been  washed  and  scoured  awa)'  completely,  leavin^i^ 
the  surface  of  the  ice  entirely  bare.  Hut  my  attention 
could  not  be  claimed  loni^  by  these;  thini^s.  for  the 
j^lory  of  the  scene  around  and  overhead  overpowered 
everythinf^  else. 

To  the   north  and  east,  the  sky  was  purple-black. 


RED  CLIFF  HOUSE  AFTER  THE  STORM. 

shadin^r  to  excpiisite  blue  at  the  zenith.  Overhead  a 
few  dainty,  feathery  clouds  o^lowed  with  the  irides- 
cent hues  of  the  hummino-bird's  breast  and  mother-of 
pearl.  The  western  and  south-western  sky  was  aflame 
with  dazzlini^  yellow  shatliuL^  into  pale  rose  and  i^reen. 
Ai^ainst  this  rose,  en  silhouette,  the  majestic  cliffs  of 
Josephine  Headland  swimmin^-  in  jnu-ple  lii,du.  Misty 
purple  and  o^reen  li^lits  tloated  over  the  far-stretch- 
ini^  expanse  of  ice,  ij^ivin^-  the  countless  olistening  em- 
erald icebercrs  an  indescribable  softness. 


1 


:  ( 


1     » 


4 


J    ^ 


fi' 


.ii 


iV 


214        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

liven  a  mile  a\va\-,  1  could  se(;  thai  Rvxl  Cliff  House 
stood  out  more  prominently  than  it  had  since  October. 
It  was  evidently  denuded  of  its  snow  coveriniT. 

Half-way  home  Mrs.  l\-ary  met  me  and  told  me  of 
the  friL^htful  storm  and  deluL,^(.',  Nearly  all  day  Mon- 
day, the  rain  had  fallen  in  torrents,  washini;  away  the 
snow-coveriniL^  of  the  house,  destroyinjj^  the  covered 
snow  (Mitrance,  and  cominL;-  throuLjh  the  canvas  roofs 
of  the*  additions  till  it  ran  into  the  house.  The  wind 
all  the  time  hurleil  itself  from  the  cliffs  upon  the  house 
with  such  force  that  the  hovs  could  scarcely  stand 
ajj^ainst  it.  1  Ik.'  doors  and  windows  (jui\(n'ed  with 
the  assault,  but  the  liouse  itself,  strongly  framed, 
frozen  to  th(.'  iL^round,  and  braced  and  protected  by  its 
surroundiuL^  walls  of  stone:  and  frozen  turf,  stood  firm, 
nor  did  the  wintl  anywhere  effect  an  entrance. 

The  coveretl  snow  entrances  to  the  igloos  of  the 
settlement  were  beaten  down  and  the  i^ioos  them- 
selves were  very  near  destruction.  X'erhoeff  went  to 
the  tide  i^au^e  in  his  lon^-le^iLii'ed  rubber  boots,  and 
the  maximum  thermometer  registered  the  uni)rece- 
clentetl  temperature  of  +41.V'  b-  The  snow  ij^loo  at 
the:  tide  hole  was  beaten  down,  and  Red  Cliff  House, 
as  I  approached  it,  stood  out  so  bare  and  black  that 
it  looked  as  if  it  hail  been  visited  by  a  tire.  I  think 
no  such  i)henom('nal  war  of  the  elements,  no  such 
wild  freak  of  the  Arctic  folin,  has  ever  before  been 
observed  in  this  latitude  in  the  month  of  February. 

We  had  e.\]:)erienced  an  accentuated  instance  of  the 
Greenland  f(')hn. — a  word  borrowed  from  the  meteor- 
oloL^y  of  Switzerland,  to  desii^nate  the  most  remark- 
able of  the  local  winds  of  that  country,  a  south,  warm 
wind  that  occurs  in  the  Alps,  most  frecjuently  in  the 
spring'. 

I  expected  to  hear  later  of  our  I'Y>l)ruary  fohn  in 
other  parts  of  Greenland,  and  I  was  not  disappointed. 


Imprisoned  on  the  Ice-Cap 


215 


Lieut.  Ryder  was  liviiiL;  for  niiH'  iiiontlis  at  Scores!))' 
Suuiul,  on  the  coast  of  h^ast  Cireenland,  while  we 
were  at  McCormick  liay.  lie  was  al)out  four  iiun- 
dred  and  fiftv  Lft^^OLrrapliical  miles  south  of  us.  The 
maximum  temjjeratures  h(.'  recorded  occurred  in  l^'eh- 
ruary  and  May.  lit;  says  ^Pctcruiainis  Mittcilitiii^oi, 
xi..  iSg2.  pai;;'e  265)  that  these  hiL,di  temperatures 
were  due  to  severe   fohn  storms,   onj   of    which,   in 


AMONG  THE  RUINS. 


r^ebruary  (date  not  ij^iven),  suddenly  raised  the  ther- 
mometer to  +50°  F.,  Si°  hii^dier  than  my  instru- 
ments had  recorded.  Like  us,  also,  he  had  expericMict^d 
his  lowest  temperature  in  P\'l)ruary.  Rainfall  in  the 
neiLrhbourhood  of  McC^ormick  Ha\-  durini/  l*'ebruarv, 
or  in  other  words  duriui^  the  sunrise  period,  is,  ac- 
cording^ to  native  reports,  almost  unprecedented. 

The  experience  upon  the  ice-cap.  in  its  actualities  of 
discomfort  and  possibilities  of  worse,  was  the  most 
serious  incident  in  all  thc::  ice-caj)  work  of  the  Expedi- 
tion of  1891-ICS92.  To  me  it  was  an  old  stor\-.  I 
had  twice  been  throuLjh  similar  experiences  in  1SS6. 


I ' 


1     y 

4 


2i6        Nortliward  o\cr  the  "  Orcat  Ice" 

To  my  two  c()mi)ani()ns  it  was  a  stern  and  serious 


initiation  into  icc-caj)  work,  and  an  empliasised  war 
jnL,'^  of  wliat  the)-  nii^lu  expect  on  the  lon^;  niarcli. 
I'lu:  tlay  after  our  rt^turn  from   the  ice-ca|)  tlie  te 


•n- 


m- 


perature  rose  aijain  al)ovt 


th(;  f 
Llr\inLr 


ree/.inLj-point. 


'rh( 


r  our 


aiu 


1   oth 


er 


clay  was  spent   indoors,   ( 

e(|uipinent,  which  liad  been  blown  full  of  damp  snow 

antl  sleet. 

Thursday  was  a  day  of  brii^htness  and  sunshine  on 
the  northern  shores  of  th(;  ba\',  and  I  immediately 
^ot  the  available  force  of  the  \  illat^c:  at  work,  rebuilcl- 
Imr  the  lonjj;  covered  entrance  to  the  house,  demolished 
by  the  storm.  'Vhc  now  solidK-  frozen  snow  crust 
furnished  fine  cpiarries  for  buildiiiij^  blocks,  and  after 
collectiuij  ail  the  empty  boxes  and  the  discarded  ice- 
melter  to  build  up  the  wall.  Astri'ip.  Dr.  Cook,  Ikwa, 
Annowkah,  and  m)self  hewed  ^reat  slabs,  two  to 
three  feet  wide  and  six  to  eijj^Iit  feet  loni;  and  six 
inche's  thick,  of  semi-ice,  and  roofed  our  entrance  bet- 
ter than  before.  I  was  very  i(latl  to  ij^et  this  done  so 
quickl)-,  for  we  had  yet  to  meet  the  wild  storms  of 
March. 

The  more  pressinij;'  repairs  upon  the  house  beiuLj 
completed,  m)'  faithful  servants  Ikwa  and  Annowkah 
set  about  the  restoration  of  their  own  half-wrecked 
dwellini^s  ;  and  to  expedite  their  work,  I  i^^ave  them 
a  shovel,  snow-knife,  and  hatch(;t.  Then  Dr.  Cook, 
Astri'ip,  and  I  betook  ourselves  to  our  ski.  and  coasted 
merrily  down  the  hill  back  of  the  house,  with  many  a 
ludicrous  tumble,  b^ven  the  Eskimos  became  infected 
with  the  spirit  of  merriment,  and  s^ot  out  a  Greenlant' 
sledij^e  and  coasted  with  us.  Mrs.  Peary,  in  the  mean- 
time, watched  the  sport  and  caujj^ht  us  with  the  camera. 
In  the  afternoon.  Annowkah  and  I  rebuilt  the  snow 
o;M(i  on  the  south  end  of  the  house.  The  next  day 
Matt  and  I,  with  my  Greenland  sledt^e  and  the  two 


IniprisoiiL'tl  on  the  Icc-Cap 


21 


(1<)l;s.  went  u|)t()  Oiic-Mik'  \'allc>  after  ni\  pack,  which 
I  had  left  near  its  hitatl  on  TiKSchi).  Sonic  chslancc 
1)(,'1()W  ilu.'  pack  1  liad  to  li-axc  the  s1c(1l;c  ami  iloj^s 
on  account  of  the  steepness  of  the  ascent,  and  'oriiii^ 
the  i)ack  down  to  them  on  my  hack. 

W'lien  we  started  l)ack.  I  ch-oxc  tli<'  point  of  my 
alpenstock  hetweeii  two  sledge  cross-hars.  three  or 
four  inches   into  the  snow,  and   with  this   as  a  hrake, 


EFFECTING  REPAIRS. 

I  was  able  to  retain  con- 
trol of  the  sledj^a,'  until  we 
reached  a  more  L^ently  sloj)- 
ino;  part  of  the  lower  \alley. 
Here  I  thoui^ht  we  wen.'  safe, 
but  fre(iuent  patches  of  bare  ice, 
from  which  the  last  lio;ht  snow  had 
>/  been  blown,  i^^ave  the  sledge;  such  ve- 
locity that  I  was  u-lad  to  apj^ly  the  brake 
again.  Even  then,  we  travelled  like  the  wind,  the  do_u;s 
at  their  liveliest  u;allop,  unable  to  keep  the  traces 
straij^dit.  Suddenl\-,  the  iron  point  of  my  alpenstock 
broke  short  ofT.  and  in  a  moment  the  sides  of  the 
valley  became  a   roarin^r   mist,   and    the    poor    doo;s, 


1  \ 


j 


T 


1 1V 


218       Northward  o\cr  tlic  "Great  Ice" 

howliiiLT    and    jt^lpiiii^.    were    rolliiin'    and     hoiindinLj 
throiioli  the  air  in  tow  of  the  shootin-^'  sledi^e. 

I  did  my  best  to  make  the  end  of  ni)'  alpenstock 
bite  into  the  snow,  and  just  as  everjlhin^  was  bccom- 
in^i;^  invisible  in  our  mad  rush,  1  succeeded,  with  the 
result  of  hurliiiL;'  Matt,  who  was  behind  me,  over  m\' 
head  upon  the  snow  in  front,  and  brini^inj^  the  poor 
(1(\!l;s  uj)  with  a  thump  and  a  yelp  in  a  breathless  mass 
aiL^ainst  the  ui)standers.  After  this,  we  went  on  mure 
cantfully  and  soon  rciached  the  house. 


j 

» 

f 

y-y.  ii*    --' 

k 

;: 


cuApri-k  \'iii. 


I'KK'AKIN(;    1-Ok    TIIK    KK-CAI'    (  A  M  !  A  K  ;\. 
An    A.NX1..1S    KiMso.,i.-jA.  K    Kkscuki.   at    La.i-Wii.i.    Wkaimkr-Tiif 

(,K„._lK\VA   I.KS   IMS  SI.KIm;,.;   kCNNK.kS-Sl.RIN.;   HrN,,N,:_A   Tk.,.    ,..    IMK 

|ck-Cai>-I,in(,iiin(;  in  C.mkort   ,n   a  Tkmpkratcri..  ..k   -32     K      382s 

FkKT     AnuVK    THK    SkA-NkW    VISITORS    FROM    CArK.    V.  .KK-WKAr.I..  K  "  Rf- 
I'OKTS    l.K,.M    AI...    AI,.,N.;    TIIK,    C.ASI-A    Mll.l.    WlNTKK-Sl  ,.;|.,  iK    TuiPS    |„ 

Hkriikri    Isiam.-Skni.in.;  SriTi.ii.s  n,  tiik,  I,  ,,-(.ai— Mv  Kskimo  Maii 
Carrikr 


r,  ! 


.  a- 


WOMAN  AND  CHILD. 


CHAPTKR  VIII. 


PREI'ARI\(;    FOR     rilH    ICK-CAI*    LAMI'AKIN. 


A 


r"ri'^R  lunch,  on  I^Vi- 
day,  Fel)ruary 
19th,  Astriip  and 
Dr.  Cook  started  off  to 
build  some  cairns  on  the 
brow  of  the  bluffs  from 
Cape  Cleveland  to  Three- 
Mile  Valley.  They 
thouLi^ht  they  would  make 
the  ascent  at  Cape  Cleve- 
land and  started  in  that 
direction.  Old  Arrotok- 
soah  and  his  wife  left  us  at  eiiji'ht  a.m.  for  Netiulume, 
and  a  little  later,  Ikwa  started  with  his  sleds^e  and  my 
one  remainino;-  Eskimo  doo;-.  This  day,  for  the  first 
time,  we  ate  our  lunch  by  daylig'ht,  the  lamps  beintr 
put  out  from  one  until  two  p.m. 

While  we  were  at  dinner.  Ikwa  came  back  and  said 
that  in  passing;;-  Cape  Cleveland  he  had  heard  a  small 
snow-slid(^  I  thought  nothinij^  of  this  at  the  time, 
but  about  nine  I'.m.  \rrotoksoah  and  his  wife  returntxl, 
havinn^  found  the  travelling-  over  the  Whale-Sound 
ice  too  rouLih  for  th('m.  Old  Sairey  (iamp  said  she 
had  heard  Dr.  Cook  shouting-  and  Jack  barking-  as 
they  were  [jassino-  Cape  Cleveland.  1  tlid  not  like 
the  looks  of  this,  and  immediately  told  Gibson  to  L;et 

221 


t, 


>  ; 


f    ti 


1       » 


W 


i 


222        Northward  over  the  "  Great  Ice  " 

ready  to  ^o  clown  to  the  cape  with  me,  and  piittini^r  a 
jlask  of  rum  in  my  pocket,  and  takin.i;  my  alpenstock 
in  one  hand  and  a  bull's-eye  lantern  in  'the  other,  I 
started  off  with  him. 

We  made  crood  time  to  the  cape,  and  just  before 
reachin!^rit,heard  Jack  bark  well  up  thediff  in  answer  to 

my  shout.     Then 
w^e  left  the  sled_L,re 
track,   and   went 
directly  to  the  sio-- 
nal  llai^r,  follow! n^^ 
Dr.   Cook's  track 
of  the  day  before. 
While   at    the 
sio^nal    staff,    a 
mournful    lono^- 
drawn-out    howl 
broke throuo-h  the 
gloomy,    starless 
nioht,   from   the 
darker   _L(loom   oi 
the  bluff  above  us, 
and  filled  me  with 
forebodings.      I 
shouted     Dr. 
Cook's    name 
as^ain  and  again, 
without  answer,  except  Jack's  dismal  wail. 

A  few  steps  from  the  signal,  we  found  the  boys' 
tracks  leading  straight  up  the  steep  snow-slojie  to 
wards  the  trap  ledge,  which  I  knew  jjrojected  from  the 
bluff  about  half-way  up.  I^^llowing  the  tracks  as  well 
as  we  could  through  the  gloom,  we  found  two  or  three 
places  where  the  boys  had  slipped  and  slid  some  dis- 
tance ;  and  then,  just  as  a  particularly  mournful  howl 
came  from  Jack,  I  saw  one  of  Dr.  Cook's  snow-shoes 


JACK. 


h 


Preparing  for  the  Ice-Cap  Campaign 


2  2  % 
—  "  O 


lyintT^  on  the  snow,  where  it  had  fallen  from  ahove. 
A  little  above  it,  ijreak^-  in  the  snow  looked  a-,  if  matle 
by  the  spent  del)ris  from  a  slide  arrested  some  distance 
up,  perhaps  at  the  trap  led^e. 

Ai^ain  my  shouts  elicited  no  answer,  savt;  Jack's 
tloleful  howls,  and  the  rustle  of  the  bitini^  wintl.  The 
whole  thinijf  seemed  clear  to  me.  The  boys,  in  L^oin^r 
up,  had  detached  some  of  the  rotten  masses  of  trap, 
which  had  fallen  upon  them  and  either  pinned  them 
down  or  crippled  them  so  that  they  could  not  move. 
Dr.  Cook  was  still  able,  when  the  old  couple  passed, 
to  call  to  them,  but  now  he  had  fainted,  or  become 
numb  with  cold  ;  Jack,  with  a  doom's  instinct  of  calam- 
ity, was  howlinij^  by  the  side  ot 
his  two  human  friends,  who 
were  probably  senseless.  I 
could  not  briuLf  myself  to  be- 
lieve  that  the  mishap  was 
<rreater  than  this. 

A  f(;w  steps  farther  showed 
me  the  utter  futility  of  our  try- 


SHOEING   A   SLEDGE   WITH    ICE. 


mi 


I 


H 


f 


/,': 


i:t 


224        Northward  over  the  "(^rcat  Ice  " 

\njji;  to  <ro  up  in  the  darkness  without  lines  or  hatchets. 
The  cold  alone,  1  felt  sure,  would  not  endanger  the  hoys, 
as  the  temperature  was  comparatively  mild  (  -^^h. ), 
and  hoth  were:  clad  in  complete  reindc^er  suits. 

'I'he  proper  wa\-  was  to  return  to  the  house  with  all 
possible  speed,  and  come  back  with  the  three  natives, 
Verhoeff,  sledi^cs,  lines,  sleepins^r-bao's,  li.L^hts,  and 
ever)thin!^^  necessary  to  (^c^t  the  boys  down  with- 
out delay  as  soon  as  wc;  reached  them.  I  need  not 
say  that  I  led  the  return  to  the  house  at  a  half-run, 
and  lonn^  before  reachinir  it,  had  decided  what  every 
man  should  do,  so  that  we  could  start  back  in  less  than 
ten  minutes.  I  jnished  open  the  door  with  the  first 
order  on  my  lips,  but  the  si)ectacle  before  me  left  it 
unuttered. 

There  sat  the  two  boys  at  the  table  eati-n^r  their  sup- 
per with  excellent  ajjpe- 
tites.  The  clock  over  the 
table  recorded  i  1 145  p.  m. 
No  one  who  has  not  been 
through  a  similar  experi- 
ence can  understand  my 
feelinj^  of  relief. 

The  story  of  the  boys 
was  soon 
told.  They 
had  had 
much  trou- 
ble in  o;et- 
tino^upthe 
slope,  and 
it  w^as  al- 
ready get- 
tino-  dark 
w  hen   the 

old    couple  SHOEING    A    SLEDGE    WITH    ICE 


Preparing  for  the  Ice-Cap  Campai«;n     225 

passed  the  cape,  the  boys  Ixmiil;-  less  than  half-way  to 
the  summit.  The  ascent  was  so  steep,  howe\er,  that 
to  return  was  impossil)le,  and  so,  laboriously  cuttinj^ 
steps  with  the  heels  of  the  Doctor's  snow-shot;s,  the 
only  implemc;nt  they  had,  they  climbed  slowly  up, 
hani^intj^  on  by  tooth  and  nail,  and  tlnally  reachtxl  the 
plateau  at  the  top.  Jack,  who  hatl  followed  them,  had 
trone  part  w^ay  up  the  cliff  and  thcMi  could  not  i^o  far- 
ther. TravelliuLi;  aloni^  the  plateau  to  Mile  \'alley, 
they  descended  there,  and  returnetl  to  the  house  over 
the  bay  ice. 

This  incident  perhaps  seems  trivial.  Possibly  with- 
out my  beini^  aware  of  it,  the  L^loom  of  the  Cireat  Nijj^^ht 
had  rendered  me  abnormally  susceptible.  Yet  the  mem- 
ory of  that  time  when  Jack's  mournful  howl  fell  throui^h 
the  ij^loom  of  the  sombre  starless  njoht  upon  my  ears, 
and  I  j)ictured  my  comrades  l)'inu'  up  then;  crippled  or 
dead,  and  thouoht  of  the  crushing'  possibilities  of  the 
catastrophe,  always  comes  back  to  me  as  a  nii^htmare. 

There  was  reason  for  my  fears.  Six  months  lat(;r, 
another  of  my  party,  youni^  Verhoeff,  passed  to  the 
unknown  in  the  full  liLiht  of  the  lon*^-  summer  dav, 
under  circumstances  which  previous  to  the  catastrophe 
seemed  less  fraui^ht  with  possibilities  of  dan^^er  than 
those  here  described. 

The  next  day,  with  Mrs.  Peary  and  Astriip,  I  went 
dowm  to  the  cape  to  rescue  Jack,  who  had  not  been 
able  to  Li^et  down,  but  before  we  could  t^et  steps  cut  up 
the  bluff  to  him,  nii^ht  compelled  me  to  L^ive  up  the 
attempt. 

Sunday  niuht,  February  21st,  all  my  family,  four- 
footed  as  well  as  bipeti,  were  aij^ain  safe  within  the 
precincts  of  Red  Cliff  House.  Durinij^  the  day  Dr. 
Cook  and  I  had  rescued  Jack  from  his  unpleasant 
perch  up  the  Cape-Cleveland  bluff,  in  the  midst  of  a 
succession  of  violent  snow-squalls  w'hich  blinded  and 

•5 


m 


<-i 


i*. 


*  1 


226       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


1     ' 


k  1 


i  t 


half-suffocatcd  us,  and  almost  tore  us  from  our  preca- 
rious position,  where,  llattcMied  against  the  hhitf.  we 
clunij^  witli  hands  and  feet  to  shallow  steps  which  we 
had  cut  with  hatchets  in  the  snow  and  ice. 

It  was  with  a  feelinij^  of  relief  that  I  finally  reached 
the  foot  of  the  cliff  with  the  whinini^'  and  tremhlinij^ 
brute,  my  face  stun*^  almost  to  hleedinLi^  with  the 
snow,  and  arms  and  lejj^s  achini;  from  the  continued 
grip  upon  the  ste[)s. 

On  our  return,  we  met  Mrs.  Peary,  who  had  started 
to  bring  us  somt?  lunch,  but  had  Ix'en  blinded  and 
bewildered  by  the  snow,  and  actually  hurled  from 
her  feet  by  the  fury  of  the  wind,  which  obligcMl  her, 
bruised  and  breathless,  to  creep  for  shelter  among  the 
blocks  of  the  ice-foot. 

It  had  been  a  savage  wei?k.  The  wild  rush  of  the 
fohn,  with  its  phenomenal  high  temperatures  through 
this  region,  had  transformed  the  atmosph.ere  into  a 
tumultuous  cauldron  of  fit:rce  winds  which  even  the 
returning  cold  had  not  yet  fettered. 

The  week  beginning  Monday,  b'ebruary  2  2(1,  in- 
troduced a  surprising  experience  in  arctic  regions. 
Some  of  us  were  attacked  by  an  ailment  that  was 
unmistakably  the  grip,  and  we  did  not  recover  from 
its  effects  for  several  weeks.  On  Tuesclay,  Mrs. 
Peary  was  violently  ill,  and  the  ailment  soon  became 
epidemic  at  Red  Cliff.  We  thought  the-  outbreak 
was  traceable  to  the  extraordinary  storm  of  the  pre- 
vious week.  .  Mrs.  Peary,  Gibson,  and  both  of  my 
I^skimo  women,  with  their  babies,  were  the  first  vic- 
tims, and  none  of  us  entirely  escaped,  thougli  my 
share  of  the  intliction  did  not  come  until  March  28th, 
when  I  was  confined  to  the  house  for  several  days. 

Of  course  the  Red-Cliff  colonv  celebrated  Wash- 
ington's  birthday.  We  spread  an  api)etising  banquet, 
and  our  usually  simple  fare  gave  way  to  a  bounteous 


Prcparin<^r  for  the  Ice-Cap  Campaign     22^ 

suppK'  of  l)r<)il(.'d,  L;uillL'in()t  l)r('a.-.ts,  venison  [)asty. 
pcindowch',  u;rL'cn  peas,  corn,  liebfrauniilch,  and  choc- 
olate. Ciibson  set  out  witli  liis  rille  to  look  for  the 
seals  I  had  seen  off  Cape  Cleveland,  and  Annowkah 
went  up  the  hay  to  hunt  for  seal  holes.  Gibson 
returnt.'d  without  seeinL]^  any  seals,  hut  Annowkah  re- 
ported a  seal  hole  and  saw  a  deer  in  the  neiohhour- 
h  )od  of  Mile  Valley.  Ravens  wen;  flyini^  over  the 
house,  and  other  sio^ns  of  returninL^  animal  life  were 
increasintr.  At  noon  on  March  2d,  the  thermome- 
ter registered  —43°  F. 


MATT  AND  ANNOWKAH  RETURNING  FROM  THE  DEER  HONT. 

I  drilled  throuij^h  the  bay  ice  east  of  the  tide  gaun;-(j 
and  found  its  thickness  to  be  three  feet  eiu^ht  inches. 
The  February  thaw,  toL^ether  with  a  blankest  of  snow, 
had  stopped  all  increase  in  the  thickness  of  the  ice  for 


iW 


1     • 


V  I. 


r 


t\ 


y 


1 1  i 


228        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

several  weeks.  The  snow  on  the  \cv.  weij^lied  it  down 
till  the  water  rose  nearly  to  its  surface.  The-  low 
teinperatures  resulted  in  nunierous  mist-wreaths 
alouL!^  the  shore  of  the  bay  and  the  icebero^s,  and  our  ice 
for  nu;llinij^  purjjoses,  when  brought  into  th(t  house 
and  dropped  into  the  j)ails()f  wattT,  snai)pc:d,  crackled, 
and  fell  to  pieces.  I'he  sound  reminded  mv.  of  the  crack- 
lin_<:f  of  wood  in  pleasant  fireplaces  in  the  home  land. 

The  low  temperatures  also  led  Ikwa  to  ii^ive  his 
sledLj^e  shoes  of  ice,  a  process  that  interested  mc  very 
much.  First,  he  covered  the  bottoms  of  the  runners 
with  a  continuous  strip  of  thick  walrus  hide,  2k  inches 
wide,  with  the  hair  on.  This  was  fastened  on  by 
rawhide  lashini^s  passed  throuj^h  slits  cut  in  the 
edo^es.  When  this  was  frozen  hard,  a  coating-  of  wiow 
dipped  in  warm  urine  was  applied  and  shaped  and 
pressed  with  the  hands,  until  the  entire  length  of  the 
runner  was  covered  three-fourths  of  an  inch  to 
an  inch  thick.  This,  in 
turn,  was  allowed  to 
freeze  solid,  and  then 
chip[)ed  and  smoothed 
with  a  knife,  and  finally 
rubbed  down  with  the 
hand  dipped  in  water. 
Here  is  a  section  of  the 
finished  runner. 

On  the  niixht  of  March 
2d,  with  the  temperature 
—  35°  F. — Kennan's  limit 
of  comfort  in  Siberia — 
I  took  my  reindeer  baj^ 
and  slept  outside  on  the 
snow.  Leavintr  the  house,  dressed  in  my  complete  fur 
travellini^-  suit,  I  took  a  walk  on  the  bay,  and  then  return- 
ing, undressed  in  the  open  air.  to  my  undershirt  and  a 


'f--\(U^ 


SECTION   OF    ICE-SHOE. 


Preparing;'  for  the  Ice-Cap  Campaign     229 

pair  of  reindeer  socks,  L^ot  into  my  ba^',  arranij^eil  it  all 
without  the  stimulus  of  foot!  or  hot  tea,  and  in  a  few  min- 
utes was  comfortable,  and  slept  well  throuj^h  the  nielli. 
Thursday  morninLi^,  March  ;d,  Matt  and  Annowkah 
startetl  after  deer  to  the  head  of  the  ba)',  with  the 
/^n'uccss  sledjj^e,  sleepinLj-j^'ear,  and  five  days'  i)ro- 
visions.  Jack,  my  NewfountUantl  doi;,  easily  drai^i^ed 
their  sledij^e,  weiL^^hinij^  over  150  jjounds,  alont^  the  ice- 
foot. Next  day,  Ikwa,  who  had  ^one  around  Caj)e 
Cleveland  aft  r  tleer,  returned  with  a  fine  animal,  and 
this  opened  the  sprini^  hunting  season. 


.-- ,».  * 


•^  ' 


ESKIMO   BITCH   AND   PUPPIES. 


From  noon  until  sunset  on  March  4th,  there  was  a 
parhelion,  of  which  only  the  upper  and  rii^dit-hand 
images  were  visible,  the  rest  of  the  phenomenon  be- 
ing hidden  behind   the  cliffs,  and  the  sun  being  too 


I 


A 

\  % 


fill 


230 


Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice 


I 

1     • 


i 


I    I 


low  for  tlu'  lower  imai^c.  After  the  sun  i^ot  past  Cape 
Cleveland,  tht-re  was  a  hriL^ht  jx-ncil  of  \'\'J,\\i  streaming 
uj)warcl  from  the  orh  antl  about  eleven  decree's  loniL^. 
The  anL,ailar  radius  of  the  parhelion  circle  was  22.V'  I'. 
I''or  the  ajjpearance  of  the  parhelion,  see  ])a!L;'e  24.:;. 

After  lunch,  Sunday,  March  6th.  Matt  antl  Annowkah 
returned,  having' shot  four  deer.  I'hey  had  slej)t  in  a 
snow  ij^loo  and  suffered  no  discomfort,  thouidi  the  out- 
side temjx'rature  had  been  from  40"  V.  to  -50"  V.  at 
Red  Cliff  House,  and  possibly  lower  where  they  were. 
It  should  be  remembered  that  one  of  these  me'U  was  of 
African  descent,  and  his  only  experience  of  tempera- 


ICE-CAP   BEYOND   FOUR-MILE   VALLEY. 

tures  away  from  his  home  had  been  oained  in  the  tropi- 
cal climate  of  Central  America.  The  season  had  opened 
very  auspiciously.  Our  total  record  now  was  thirty- 
six  deer.  The  sprins^  deerskins  were  quite  different 
from  those  secured  in  the  fall,  beiuL^  much  lis^diter  and 
thinner  as  to  the  leather.  The  fur  was  as  heavy,  but 
seemed  to  have  no  adhesion  to  the  skin,  and  we  were 
unable  to  make  any  use  of  them. 

About  4:30  r.M.,  on  March  8th,  the  sun,  just  before 
settino^,  shone,  for  the  first  time,  on  the  house,  and  on 
the  14th,  it  shone  for  the  first  time  on  the  window  of 
my  room. 


r   'i 


Preparing;-  for  the  Ice-Cap  Campaii^n     -\ii 

Late  on  the  afternoon  of  March  i  2tli.  (iihson  and 
Annowkali  rt-turncd  from  a  hiintini,^  trip  to  iMxc-Cihi- 
cicr  X'alU-y  with  two  iK-crskins  on  the  sIciIl^c.  (iihson 
had  k'ft  tlu!  house  with  a  forniiilahle  (•(luipnicnt  to 
protect  him  against  tlie  coKl,  l)iit  had  never  openetl 
his  clothes-l)a.il^,  and  had  left  it  on  the  hay  ice  all  the 
time  he  was  huntin_L(.  He  said  the  t(Mni)erature  in 
their  snow  i^rloo  was  from  +40"  I\  to  +45"  1'". 

Saturilay,  March  19th, 
mv  Mskimo  bitch  <rave 
birth  to  a  litter  of  nine 
pups,  only  one  of  which 
was  a  male.  Later  I  ob- 
served, frequently,  this 
disproportion  of  the 
sexes  amont^  the  doi^s, 
antl  noted  the  same  pe- 
culiarity in  tlu;  propor- 
tion of  the  sext:s  amon<r 
the  natives.  The  female 
children  are  considerably 
in  excess  of  the  males. 
This  seems  a  wise  pro- 
vision of  nature  to  con- 
tinue the  species.  I  com- 
pleted my  sledLje  the 
same  day,  and  was  much  pleased  with  it.  It  weii^hed 
twenty  pounds,  was  twelve  feet  five  inches  loni(,  thir- 
teen feet  one  inch  lon^^  from  tip  to  tip  of  runners,  and 
sixteen  inches  wide. 

Monday,  March  21st,  I  started  (;arly  for  the  ice-cap 
east  of  Four-Mile  X'alley,  to  observe  the  conditions  on 
the  Inland  Ice,  which  was  soon  to  be  my  route  to  the 
far  North.  The  morninij^  was  cU-ar  and  calm.  I  took 
\vith  me  my  lunch,  a  ritle.  an  aneroid,  th(;rmom(;ter, 
and  snow-shoes.     My  costume  consisted  of  a  very  lii^ht 


KOKO. 


I 


i  " 


( 


fi  ll 


I    I 


232        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

woollen  undcrsliirl..  a  pair  of  li.^lu  woollen  socks,  a 
pair  of  blanket  foot-wraps,  a  li^ht  woollen  skiill-caj).  a 
reindeer-skin  kooletah,  a  pair  of  do^^skin  trousers, 
a  pair  of  kamiks,  and  a  pair  of  deerskin  and  blanket 
mittens — a  total  weight  of  ahoiit  twelve.-  pounds — less 
than  that  of  a  winter  costunu;  at  home. 

On  leavinj^  i\\v.  hay,  I  jnit  on  my  snow-shoes  and 
kept  them  on  until  I  reached  the  ice-cap.  In  the  nar- 
row part  of  the  valU^y, 
most  of  the  surface  was 
covered  with  ice,  form(;d 
after  th(.'  I'ehruary  rain- 
storm, and  in  placets  the 
bed  of  the  valley  torrent 
showed  that  there  had 
been  a  considerable 
stream  runnin^,^  there 
durinir  the  storm. 

On  the  ice-cap  a  fresh 
breeze  was  blowinjj^,  and 
thou|[^h  the  sun  was  shin- 
inj^  brii^duly,  and  there 
was  blue  sky  overhead, 
all  the  upper  part  of  McCormick  Hay  was  hiilden  by 
lead-coloured  cumulus  clouds,  and  In_L(lefield  Ciulf  lay 
invisible  behind  a  dazzliuL,^  white  mist.  I  took  off  my 
snow-shoes,  the  surface  beini,^  so  hard  that  my  feet 
made  no  impression  on  it,  and  walked  alonj^  briskly 
over  the  marble  pavement.  Every  inequality  had  been 
formed  by  south-east  winds  ;  and  it  seemed  to  me  that 
on  the  ice-cap  proper  the  wind  must  blow  almost  in- 
variably from  a  direction  between  south  and  east. 

On  the  top  of  the  first  swell  of  the  ice-cap,  at  an 
elevation  of  about  3000  feet,  I  was  surprised  to  find 
coarse,  jj^ranular  ice  similar  in  appearance  to  places  on 
the  bay  where  the  wind  had  scoured  the  snow  away. 


THE   WIDOW   NUIKINGWAH. 


I     'i 


Preparing  foi  the  Icc-Cap  Cainpaij;!!     ^^j 

Beyond  this  there  was  lianl  snow  ajL^ain.  At  an  eleva- 
tion of  ;S2^  feet.  I  surmounted  the  second  swell  ami 
had  before  nie.  apparently,  an  extensixc  level,  allhoui^h 
the  snow-drift  nia\   have  l»een  dece|)li\e. 

Here  I  took  ni)'  huuh,  seated  upon  the  snow,  with 
ni)-  hack  to  the  wind  ;  and  although  it  was  hlowin^^  a 
i^ale,  and  the  air  was  thick  with  ilriftinn  snow.  whiK,- 
the  swin^iint;  thermometer  read  —  ^^2"  l'\,  1  ate  my  lunch 
d','lil)eratel\'  and  in  comfort.  .So  much  for  reindeer 
clothin)^'.  Had  1  been  clad  in  woolk-ns  1  could  not 
have  remained  ([uic:t  an  instant. 

i'urninn-  hack  ami  scuddiuL;-  hefore  the  i;ale.  it 
ditl  not  take  Ioiil;- to  rt.'ach  the  head  of  the  vall<\-.  I 
was  fairly  hlown  down  th(;  s.,M)r!L,a'  and  out  into  the 
hav,  where  I  found  the  faint  slechre  trail  and  followed 
it  through  the  hlindiuL;-  drift  l)\'  feeling,  rather  than 
I)  ,■  siij^ht,  till  I  reached  the  house.  I  was  much  pleaseil 
to  attain  the  elevation  of  3S00  feet  on  the  Inland  \cv., 
so  easily  and  (|uickl\'.  I  was  also  interested  in  these 
meteoroloL^ical  notes' :. 

'I\'mi)t-T;itiirt.'  on  the  li:i\   in  tlu'  shade ~.ii"   ''• 

'reniperature  on  the   liay  in  tlie  Min —  29'  " 

IJaronieter -9-9''^     " 

Attached  thermometer   -\-z,2     " 

Temi)erature  in  the  vallev  at  an  elevation  of  1400  " 

feet ■ -35^  - 

Temperatnre  in  the  vallev,  thermometer  exposed  " 

to  the  snn  a<;ainst  a  rock ~  '5     " 

I'aronietiT ~^-5o     " 

Attached  thermometer +7-'   " 

'rem])eratiire  at  the  summit ~ ^-^  " 

IJarometer 26  07     " 

Attached  thermometer +4°     " 

The  temperatures  shown  hy  the  attached  thermo- 
meter of  the  aneroid   are   interestino^,  as   L,nvino-   the 

'The  thermometer  was  a  mercurial  suini^  (II,   J.    (Ireen,  Xo.  (i()-,i).     Tlie 
barometer  was  a  Keuffel  ami  Esser  i-*4-iiich  aneroiil  readint;  to  Sooo  feet. 


i 


I 


V   i 


\'H 


m 


234        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

tcm|)(;ratiir(;s  insicU-  my  kooh^tah.  TIk!  l)aromct('r  was 
carried  suspended  from  a  strino-  about  m)'  iH;ck  and 
lumi;  on  my  cliest  het\V(-(;n  my  kooletali  and  under- 
shirt. Th.e  temperature  f)f  +52"  1*'.  was  the  comfort- 
abh;  warmth  pro(lucc;d  hy  brisk  walking;  on  the  bay  ; 
tlie  hit^h  temperature  of  -I-72"  I\  was  caus(;d  by  the 
exercise  of  chmbinir  up  tlic;  steep  valley  in  th(;  sun  ; 
and  the  low  but   not  uncomfortable;   temix-rature  of 

+40"  I\,  by  my  cessation  of 
(exercise  whih'  (;atin_L^  lunch  in 
th(;  thirty-two-deL(r(M's-b(;low- 
z(.'ro  trale  on  the  icocap. 

March,  on  the  whoh,-,  was  a 
blusterinij;^  month,  with  many 
snow-s(|ualls  and  \(.'r\'  low  tem- 
j)eratures  during;  the  first  part. 
'I'he  week  following  m\'  recon- 
naissance of  the  ic<;-cap  was 
one  of  continuous  blusterintj^ 
weather.  Vhc  wind  howled 
over  the  cliffs  and  about  the; 
house,  lik(;  a  j)ack  of  woKcs, 
and  the  air  was  constanlK'  full 
of  a  blinding'  drift  of  snow.  No 
phase  of  the  weather,  howexcr, 
interrupted  our  busy  j)rej)ara- 
tions  for  tin;  coming'  campaign. 
As  soon  as  we  could  see  to 
work  out-of-doors,  in  the  latter 
part  of  February,  we  were  busy  with  sled^t^-makint^'^ 
and  other  articles  of  our  outfit,  in  temperatures  of 
—  ic)"  1\  to  —25"!'".  In  these  temperatur(;s  I  usually 
worked  in  m\'  (io^skin  trousers,  an  undershirt,  and  a 
L;uernse\-.  Saturday  afternoon,  March  26th,  it  cleared, 
and  Northumberland  and  llakluyt  Islands  were  visibk; 
for  the  first  time  in  six  days. 


THK    WIDOW'S   MITE. 


•  (, 


r.i'  \ 


Preparing  for  the  Ice-Cap  Cainpaii^n 


1  ■> " 


There  was,  however,  no  doiil)!  in  my  mind  that  the 
wint(;r,  as  a  whole,  liad  1)(hmi  mild  ;  that  there  had  been 
an  unusual  auKnintof  o|)(;n  water  in  Smith  Sound  ;  and 
that  the  heavy,  and  I  think  exce|)ti()nal,  snow-fall 
had  kept  tlu;  ice  comjjarativc^ly  thin,  which  would  facil- 
itate its  hreakiuL,''  upc-arly  in  th(;  summ(;r.  'Idle  month 
went  out  like  a  lamb,  with  occasional  sunshine  and  a 
little  li_L(ht  snow.  On  the  side  (jf  the  roof  (,'Xj)Ose(l  to 
the  sun,  the  th(trmonu;ter,  laid  on  t\ui  tar  red  jja|)er,  n-ad 
-I-32A  "  1*'.  The  snow  was  disappearint^^  in  the  form 
of  vapour,  and  there  were  little  tricklings  of  water 
down  the  tarred  paper. 


EASTERN    END    OF    HERBERT    ISLAND. 

On  Monda)',  April  4th,  our  old  friends,  Klayu,  the 
widow,  with  Ikt  two  dauL^hters,  Tookumin^wah  and 
Inerh-ah  ;  Nuikin<4wah,  anoth(;r  widow,  with  her  child, 
whom  W'v.  had  not  seen  before;,  and  two  men,  came  in 
from  a  little  north  of  Cajje  \'ork.  They  said  then- 
had  been  much  wind  th(;r(;  during  the  winter.  The 
pn^vailin^"  wind  at  C"a|)e  York  had  been  from  the 
south,  but  all  alonij;  the  north  coast  the  wind  had 
couK;  from  off  the  shore,  'ihere  had  not  been  mncli 
snow,  nor  had  it  been  \('r\' cold.  Off  Akjjani  (Saun- 
ders Island  )  then;  was  open  water  and  th(;  ice  was  thin. 
One;   of  the   men    put   his  hands  about  fifteen  inches 


fi 


*  I 


n 


w 


'J^' 


*. 


1     '- 


f 


f 


i 


236 


Northwani  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 


apart,  to  show  thc^  thickness  of  the  ice.  During:  the 
forenoon  a  very  affectionate  couple  came  in  on  foot, 
the  man  with  an  oltl  ritle  with  the  stamp,  "  Tower, 
i<S6cS,"  on  it.  1  was  up  till  after  midni^dit,  taking 
photoij^raphs  of  the  new  subjects. 

OnTuesday,  April  5th,  I  sent  Gibson  with  Kessuh 
and  his  five  do<rs,  to  take  Inland-Ice  supplies  to  the 
head  of  the  bay,  and  then  l(0  to  iMve-Cdacier  Valley, 
to  hunt  deer  for  several  days.  I  hired  three  fine  do<rs 
for  the  Inland-Ice  trip,  and  immediately  started  with 
them  for  the  east  end  of  Herbert  Island,  partly  to  get 


K    ^ 

'  \ 

H 

■*«?- 

THE    FIRST   LOAD   FOR   THE    ICE-CAP. 


some  blubber  cached  there,  for  Megipsu  and  her  fam- 
ih',  and  partly  to  tr\'  the  dogs.  Astriip  and  Annowkah 
accompanied  me,  and  I  took  my  long  sledge.  We  left 
RedClitf  Mouseat  10:15  a.m.,  passed  Cape  Cleveland  at 
eleven  o'clock,  and  rt;ached  the  east  end  of  Herbert  Isl- 
and at  three  I'.m.  Fhert;  we  found  several  ruined  stone 
igloos,  two  of  which  had  l)een  fixed  up  and  made  habit- 
able. They  were  l)uilt  of  large  red,  santlstone  slabs. 
The  e\trt;me  east  end  of  Herbert  Island  is  a  hne  bold 
cliff  of  dark   red   sandstone,  with  a  cap  one   hundred 


t^ 


N 


M 


^-r,I.iti., 


'V 


Preparing  for  the  Ice-Cap  Campaign 


to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  thick  of  ho;hter  sandstone. 
The  entire  end  of  the  ishmd  is  unscalable.  1  stopped 
lonjj^  enough  to  make  tea  and  take  our  lunch  in  one 
of  the  i|,doos,  d'n^  out  the  blubber  from  its  pile  of 
stones  and  iret  it  down  to  the  sled^re.  Then,  at  ^:^o 
P.M.,  we  started  on  the  n'turn.  With  a  L^^ross  load  of 
about  three  hundred  pounds,  the  dou^s  went  alono-  very 
well  for  some  time,  but  irettinu-  tired,  and  I  havino; 
broken  my  whip,  they  shirked  their  work,  and  Astriip 


TALAKOTEAH  AND   HIS  FAMILY. 


and  Annowkah  had  to  take  turns  pulliuL;"  with  them. 
At  11:15  w(;  passed  Cape  Cleveland  a^ain,  and  at 
I  loS  I  entered  Red  Cliff  House,  havinQf  been  al)sent 
13I-  hours,  of  which  i  1  J|  were  spent  travelling'. 

I'Viday,    April    8th,    (}ibson   and    Kessuh    returned 
in    the    afternoon,   havinu'   had    no   luck  huntinL--.      I 


M 


1(1^' 


^3^ 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


t    .1 

(   1^ 


^f 


1 


f 


l\    i 


purchased  all  five  of  Kcssuh's  doij^s.  Next  morning, 
I  started  ai^ain  with  Kcssuh,  six  doi^s  and  slcds^c  for 
the  east  end  of  Herbert  Island,  We  reached  the 
island  at  three  I'.m.,  ^ot  a  little  do^-  meat,  travelled 
alonsj^the  north  shore  of  the  island.  cIul;'  out  two  cached 
seals,  and  reached  home  at  11:45  ''•^'-  ^  he  distance 
from  Red  Cliff  House  to  Kioktoksuami,  at  the  east 
end  of  Herbert  Island,  antl  return,  by  odometer,  is 
28.12  miles,  so  that  my  new  sledge  on  the  two  trips 
had  travelled  about  sixty  miles.  Our  last  trip  was 
made  on  a  perfect  day,  thouL;h  the  thermometer  was 
below  —20°  F,  Even  while  riding-  on  the  sledge,  I 
was  comfortable  in  m\-  doL^skin  trousers,  no  drawers, 
a  Jaros  undershirt,  and  sealskin  timiak.  Durinu^  the 
return  journey,  Kessuh  complained  of  the  cold  and 
rejjeatedly  warmed  his  hands  by  jolacino-  them  under 
his  foxskin  coat  upon  his  bare  stomach.  The  opera- 
tion sj^ave  me  the  first  shiver  I  had  experienced.  He 
told  me  he  knew  of  lar^e  iron  rocks  ( prolxibly  the  iron 
mountains  of  Sir  John  Ross)  n(;ar  Cape  York. 

Sunday,  A[)ril  loth.  was  a  Ijeautiful  day,  which  I 
eave  up  entirelv  to  readinir  and  baskintr  in  the  sun 
on  the  roof.  On  Monday,  April  iith,  Astriip,  Matt, 
Kuku.  and  Kyo,  with  one  sledge  and  ei^ht  doL^s, 
started  for  the  head  of  the  bay  with  supplies  for  the 
Inland-Ice  trip.  Matt  returned  at  ei^ht  p.m.,  with  the 
sledi^e  and  doj^s.  The  others  were  to  remain  at  the 
head  of  the  bay  for  three  da\s,  carrying-  the  supplies 
up  on  the  Inland-Ice  and  hunting;-  deer.  Mrs.  Peary 
and  I  were  busy  preparing-  pea  soup  and  bacon-fat  bri- 
quettes for  the  ice-cap  journey. 

Tuesday,  April  12th,  Kessuh  started  oh  with  a 
L^un  in  the  forenoon  after  seals,  and  while  we  were  at 
lunch  he  returned  with  a  family  consisting-  of  Tala- 
koteah — father.  Arrotini^wah — mother,  Ooblooah — 
son, and  Nettuh — daughter,  frcm  Cape  York.    Return- 


kA. 


\ 


Preparing  for  the  Ice-Cap  Campaign     239 

ing  behind  their  sledge  was  poor  old  I-'raiik,  one  of 
niy  Xewfoundhmd  do^s.  Me  aKva)s  seemed  to  prefer 
native  society  to  ours,  and  had  stra\ed  away  with 
a  dei^artini^  company  of  I'^skimos  al)oiit  tiiree  months 
l)efore.  He  returned  poor  in  llesh,  scarred,  hmpin^' 
from  many  hatth's  with  the  wolf-fan^j^ed  h^skimo 
doL^s,  and  scarcely  able  to  mo\-e,  but  he  showed  the 
same  curled  lip  !:)y  way  of  a  smile;  as  of  old,  when  I 
spoke  to  him.  as  he  strui^ij^led  up  the  j)ath  and  threw 
himself  dowm.  The  [)oor  old  veteran  had  had  a  hard 
winter  of  it.  Some  one  had  tied  around  his  neck  a 
bearskin  collar,  whether  as  charm  or  token  of  rever- 
ence I  do  not  know. 


ywKlii^^w,  .r^-,-  0.^:^ 


■MK^^ 


i^    .,«■ 


■  **^;.- 


FRANK,  THE  RETURNING  PRODIGAL. 

Thursday,  April  14th,  I  sent  Matt  to  the  head  of 
the  bay  wnth  145  pounds  of  pemmican.  The  other 
party  returned  at  dinner  time  from  their  work  at  the 
head  of  the  bay.  Astriip  had  secured  one  deer,  and 
taken  six  loads  up  the  bluff  to  the  ice,  leavinL!^  nine 
loads  on  the  shore.  Matt  returned  at  eiyfht  I'.m.,  hav- 
injr  left  his  load  of  pemmican  at  Hanj^in^-  Glacier,  on 
account  of  the  snow.     Saturday  about  midnij^ht,  an- 


I 


'A 


1 


BBJUilW'W.. 


i 


i; 


\\ 


240       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

other  family  of  I^.skimos,  a  man,  woman,  and  little  hoy, 
and,  h(;st  of  all,  four  do^^s,  arrived.  The  doi^s  were 
immediately  purchased. 

In  the  morninj,^,  Talakoteah,  his  wife,  hoy,  and  ij^irl, 
with  Kessuh  and  Kla)u's  little  i^nrl,  left  us.  Talako- 
teah  took  letters  which  he  promised  to  i^'ive  to  any 
whalinL^  captain  whom  he   miu^ht  see  ai  Cape  York. 

It  was  a  novel  sensation 
to  see  him  leave;  us  carry- 
ino^  a  mail.  This  native 
was  al)out  to  return  to 
his  home,  over  two  hun- 
dred miles  south  of  us. 
It  was  the  hn;t  time  that 
an  explorer  had  confided 
toanyof  the  Arctic  High- 
landers mail  matt(;r  in- 
tended for  civilised  lands. 
I  helieved  that  the  I"!ski- 
mo,  some  time  durino- 
the  season,  would  have 
an  opportunity  to  i^ive 
the  letters  to  the  captain 
of  one  of  the  whalers 
which  every  year  reach 
the  nei<4hb{)urh()od  of 
Cape  York  and  then  cross 
over  to  their  whalinij^ 
q-rounds  in  Lancaster 
Sound.  If  we  were  not 
ahle  to  communicate 
otherwise    with    civilisa- 

MY    ESKIMO    MAIL   CARR-EH.  ^\''''    ^^'''^  V^''^'''    ^    thoU-ht 

there  was  a  stron?^^^  proba- 
hility  that  this  mail,  in  the  course  of  tlie  year,  would 
reach  America  and  inform  our  fric;nds  how  thin<rs  had 


Prcparin*^'  for  the  Ice-Cap  Campaign     241 

^one  with  us  during  ihc  loni^  winter  ni^ht  and  up  to 
the  time  that  we  were  about  to  l)eij;-in  our  sledj^nno- 
work.  I  LTave  niv  mail  carrier  a  hatche-t  by  way  of 
postaj^e.  and  he  faithfully  carried  out  tlie  trust.  He 
L,^ave  the  packaLj'e  of  letters  to  Captain  Phillips  of  one 
of  the  Dundee  whalers  and  in  tlue  time  thi;y  reachetl 
London.  When  forwarded  to  the  United  States,  the 
packaj^e  bore  the  date.  "  London,  1  )ecember  7th,  i  Sg2." 
'1  he    letters    reached    their    destination   about    three 


SOME   OF   MY   DOGS. 

months  after  my  return  home.  One  of  them,  addressed 
to  "  The  Philadelphia  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences," 
was  as  fellows  : 

"  Red  Ci.iik  Hoi'se,  Whai.k  Sut'nd,  April  15,  i8(j2. 

"  I  send   tills  letter  by  an   I'lskinio   leturninsj;  to   his  iiome  at 
Ca])e  York,  with  the  exi)ectation  that  he  will  hand  it  to  the  cap- 


242        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


^ 


) 


h' 


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H 


tain  of  one  of  tlie  wlialt.TS.  Although  I  expect  to  l)e  home  be- 
fore this  can  reach  you,  1  send  it  in  view  of  possible  (oiitin- 
gencies. 

I  am  very  glad  to  say  that  the  programme  of  the  expedition 
has,  with  one  exception,  been  carried  out  to  the  letter  up  to  date. 
The  one  exce|)tion  is  the  failure,  after  two  attempts,  to  establish 
an  advance  depot  at  Humboldt  (llacier  last  fall. 

"  My  i)arty  has  passed  through  the  ordeal  of  the  dark  night 
without  injury  and  is  now  in  good  condition.  I  have  a  com- 
plete e(piii)ment  for  the  Inland-Ice  trip,  obtained  partly  by  trade 
with  the  natives,  but  mostly  through  our  own  exertions.  My 
l)arty  has  obtained  forty-one  reindeer,  eleven  walrus,  four  seals, 
one  ()(>x^S(ii>/x\  and  some  three  hundred  guillemots  and  little  auks 
to  date. 

"  The  friendliest  relations  have  been  established  and  main- 
tained with  tiie  natives,  and  valuable  ethnological  material  ob- 
tained. 

"  A  continuous  series  of  tidal  and  meteorological  observations 
have  been  taken. 

"  I  shall  start  for  the  south  side  of  the  Sound  Monday,  after 
additional  dogs,  and,  if  successful  in  obtaining  them  and  the  snow 
is  not  too  dee]),  sliall  make  the  round  of  Inglefield  (iulf,  return- 
ing in  time  to  start  on  tiie  Inland  Ice  May  ist. 

"  \  large  jjortion  of  my  su])plies  have  already  been  carried  up 
to  the  ice-cap  at  the  head  of  the  I>ay. 

" 'l"he  winter  has  been  a  mild  one  and  marked  by  great  snow- 
fall. 

"  In  tlie  middle  of  February  a  furious,  two  days'  rain-storm  de- 
nuded portions  of  the  country  of  snow  and  threatened  Red  Cliff 
House  with  inundation.' 

"(.SVv^//r</),  R.  R.  Pr.AKV,  U.  S.  Navy." 

'By  fi  singular  coincidence,  this  letter  anfi  a  |icrsonal  one  to  Gen.  I.  J.  W'istai-, 
the  Presiilent  of  the  Academy,  tiianking  liini  for  his  ])o\verful  assistance  in  ()l)tnin- 
ing  leave  for  me  to  undertake  a  second  expedition,  were  both  read  at  the  same 
meeting  of  the  .Academy.  In  the  interim  lietwecn  the  letter  leaving  me,  tucked 
in  the  corner  of  Taiakoteah's  scalskia  bag,  and  its  ariival  at  its  destination, 
I  had  made  my  trail  across  Cireenlaiid's  mighty  ice-buss,  to  witiiin  eight  de- 
grees of  the  Pole,  had  returned  to  Ked  Cliff,  had  steame<l  from  there  south- 
ward some  three  thousand  nules,  had  had  a  two  months'  rest,  had  seen  that  the 
time  and  the  occasion  were  rijie  for  another  blow  at  the  \\'liite  North,  had, 
through  tlie  iniluence  of  (ien.  Wistar  and  powerful  friends,  obtained  the  neces- 
sary leave,  and  was  already  busy  with   preparations  for  the  next  trip. 


i       0 
t 


t 


Preparing  for  the  Ice-Cap  Campaign     243 

Easter  Sunday,  April  i  7th,  was  an  exquisite  day, 
but  a  busy  one,  for  we  had  many  preparations  to 
make  for  our  start  next  morninjj;-  on  the  sledt^e  jour- 
ney around  Ini^defield  Gulf,  which  Mrs.  Peary  and  I 
were  jroinir  to  make. 

I  gave  Kyo  a  tj^un  and  sent  him  out  ifter  seal,  and 
he  soon  returned,  havinLj  shot  the  first  seal  of  the 
season. 

I  now  had  fourteen  serviceable  doo^s,  not  count- 
in^r  old  Frank,  and  this  meant  much  for  the  Inland- 
Ice  trip.  Everythinij^  looked  brij^^ht  for  the  loni^ 
journey  into  the  unknown,  towards  which  all  these 
months  of  work  and  waitino^  had  constantly  tended  ; 
and  I  was  happy  in  the  thoui^ht  that  at  last  we  were 
on  the  very  threshold  of  the  undertaking  that  had 
brought  us  to  the  "White  North." 


>^^#^^f^''%w/^^ 


I 


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I. 

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CHAPTIik   IX. 


Akorxi)   iN(;i.r.iii:i,i)  (;ri.i'    i!v   si.r.ix;!:. 


Till-:  Stakt— Oi'KN  Watkk— A  Snow  Vii.i.a(;k— Old  Fkikm.s  and  Nkw— 
A  Rkii  IIauvi.st  or  Skai.— Si.kkpi.kss  Nkiiit  in  a  Xativk  hii.ou—MKKK- 
losiiAK,  Till,  Oni;.F.viti  l!i:AR-IIrNn  u  o|-  NETiin.t'MK—l'iki  masks  oi- 
I)o(,s  AND  Firs— iTTiiii.oo  and  us  (;i.A(||.k— Mv  W'oir    ri;AM-FNA( vi-. 

1:A(  V  OK  THK  ClIAUTS— KKMAKKAIIKK  I'ANoRAMA  okMoIMAIN  am.  (;i.\(  IKK 
AT  THK  IIkAD  ok  TlIK  (U'l.K— A.N  INVOLUNTARY    lUllI  — IfoMK  Ai;aIN. 


I    I 


f   « 


1' 


} 


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O 

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i^tf^^^MlKMitf''  'a— ^  r-   B^      ^*j 


CHAI'TI'R   IX. 


AROUND    IN{il,KMi:i,I)    (ill.l'     \\\    SLKlx;!'., 


A 


I'l'l'lR  three  weeks' 
postponement  of 
my  proposed  trip 
around  W'liale  Sound  and 
Inglefield  Ciulf,  due  tu-st 
to  thick  weatlier  in  tlie 
latter  part  of  Marcli.  then 
to  my  own  inoj)portune 
attack  of  the  \^\'\\h  the  i-f- 
fects  of  wliicli  cluuLi'  to  me 
after  the  original  attack 
was  over,  and  succumbed 
finally  only  after  two  vij^^orous  tramj)s  to  llc^rhert 
Island  antl  back  to  MmX  Cliff,  I  at  last  L;()t  under 
way  at  noon  on  Monda)' after  l^asler,  Ajjril  iSth.  The 
purj:)ose  of  the  trip  was  threefokl  ;  to  complet(,-  the 
necessar\-  complement  of  doL^s  for  th(;  ice-cap  march  ; 
to  purchase  furs  and  materials  lor  our  ecjuipment;  and 
as  far  as  practicable  map  the  shores  of  th(?  s^reat  inlet. 
The  day  was  clear  and  bright,  with  a  mild  south-west- 
erly wind,  the  temperature  about  i  i"  above  zero.  The 
party  consisted  of  Mrs.  Feary,  Ciibson.  K)-o  (  bather 
Tom),  my  driver,  and  myself.  I  had  two  sletl^cs  and 
ten  doLi^s.  The  supplies  for  a  week's  journey  about 
the  Gulf  and  sleepinu;--2;"ear  and   miscellaneous  equij)- 

247 


M 

♦ 


' 


1 1 


l\  i 

I 


24^       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

mcnt  were  j)ack('(l  upon  the  larger  of  the  two  (.\oir 
slcdi^cs  whicli  I  had  myself  built  at  Red  Cliff  during- 
th(?  winter.      To  this  sledge  were  attached  seven  dogs, 

with  Kyo  as  driv- 
er, Mrs.  Pear)- and 
myself  tramping 
besick,'  or  in  the 
rear  of  the  sletlge, 
as  fancy  or  the 
condition  of  the 
snow  (lic'tated. 
Gibson  had  the 
second  sledge, 
which  was  like  the 
large  ono,  though 
lighter  and  small- 
er, and  thrc"  dogs 
for  his  tt'am.  as  he 
luul  i)racticall\'  no 
loatl.  1  le  was  not 
to  make  the  en- 
tire round  of  the 
Gulf  with  us,  but 
simpK  to  acconi- 
pan)-  us  as  far  as 
Keate,  where  I 
expected  to  j)ur- 
chase  a  load  of 
walrus  meat  for 
m\- dogs. and  have 
him  take  it  back  to  Red  Cliff.  I'anikpa.  with  his  wife 
Irkoliu'  I  and  their  dwarf  child,  with  a  sledge  and  four 
dogs,  started  with  us,  intending  to  accompany  us  part 
wa)'. 

As  we  passed  down  over  the  ice-foot  and  out  ui)on 
the  surface  of  the  l)a\-,  the  northern  shores  of  Herbert 


PANIKPA  AND   HIS  FAMILY. 


A^ 


/tC-.\ 


Around  Inglcficld  Gulf  by  vSlcd^c       249 

anil  Northunil)(.'riancl  Islands  stood  out  sharp  and 
clear  ai^ainst  th<^  blue  of  \.\\v.  south-western  sky. 
LookiuL!^  south-west  to  Cai)c^  Robertson  and  the 
distant  cliffs  of  P(;terahwik  beyond,  1  was  reniindcxl 
very  strongly  of  the  view  northward  alonjj^  the  west- 
ern shore  of  Disco  Island  as  the  A'/'/r  l)eLj^an  to  swinsj^ 
into  a  northerly  course  after  leavinj^  Godhavn.  Pass- 
im;^ rapidly  along^  the    now  well-beaten  hicrhway    to 


AT  THE   SNOW  VILLAGE. 


Cape  CK;veland,  I  was  a^ain  very  forcibly  impressed 
with  tlu'  _u;reat  similarity  I)etween  the  nortlK^rn  shore 
of  Herbert  Island  and  the  south-eastern  shore  of 
iMcCormick  I^ay,  and  the  sharply  marked  diflerenci; 
of  character  between  Herbert  and  Xorthumberland 
Islands.  Northumberland  is  e\i(l(,'ntly  a  i)art  of  the 
same  dark  granite  formation  that  walls  Robertson 
Bay  in  tinverino-  u-rantleur,  while  Herbert  Island  is  a 
part  of  the  same  cruu'.blin^-,  disintegrated  sandstone 
and  drift  formation  which  reaches  from  Cape  Clevi;- 
land  to  Howdoin  P)ay  in  Murchison  Stnnid. 


1^ 


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Around  Inglefield  Gulf  by  Sledge       251 

At  Cape  Cleveland  we  separated,  Panikpa  with 
his  equipage  keeping  along  the  beaten  path  which 
wound  away  through  the  bergs  to  the  deserted  igloos 
of  Kiaktoksuami,  under  the  vertical  walls  of  the  east- 
ern end  of  Herbert  island,  while  1.  with  the  rest  of 
the  party,  branched  out  on  a  new  road,  an  air-line 
for  the  channel  between  Herbert  and  Nortiiumber- 
land  Islands.  A  short  distance  away  from  Cai)e 
Cleveland  we  encountered  disagreeable  going  in  the 
shape  of  a  broad  zone  of  snow  with  underlying  water, 
caused,  undoubtedlv,  bv  the  overflow  from  the  tidal 
crack  stretching  from  Cape  Cleveland  in  the  direction 
of  Cape  RoI)ertson.  After  the  first  few  steps  in  the 
freezing  slush,  Mrs.  Peary,  Gibson,  and  myself  slipj^ed 
on  our  snow-shoes,  and  as  the  sledges  easily  kej^t 
upon  the  surface  of  the  snow,  this  threw  the  brunt 
of  the  disagreeai)le  situation  upon  K)o  and  the  poor 
dogs,  who  struggled  and  lloundered  through  the  arctic 
morass,  until  at  last  we  reached  dry  snow'  beyond  it. 

After  this  the  travelling  could  Ije  called  quite  fair, 
the  white  expanse  of  the  frozen  Sound  stretching 
smoothly  eastward  into  the  recesses  of  Inglefield  Gulf. 
Arriving  at  the  western  end  of  Herbert  Island,  sevcMi 
hours  from  Cape  Cleveland,  I  found  a  decidedly  search- 
ing wind  drawing  through  the  narrow  pass. 

Stopping  here  for  a  few  bearings,  I  had  a  good 
opportunity  to  observe  the  inaccuracies  of  all  the 
charts  in  regard  to  this  region.  The  charts  place 
Hakluyt  Island  to  the  south  of  the  western  point  of 
Northumberland  Island,  when,  in  reality,  the  island 
i:i  open  past  the  northern  shore  of  Northumberland 
to  an  observer  on  the  western  end  of  Herbert. 

At  this  point  we  came  upon  sledge  tracks,  and  fol- 
lowing them  they  led  us  across  the  channel  towards 
the  eastern  end  of  Northumljerland  Island.  As  we 
neared  the  shore  of  Northumberland,  the  sledge  tracks 


{\ 


252       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

became  more  numerous,  and  then  we  came,  much  to 
my  surprise,  upon  an  openincr  in  the  ice,  perhaps  two 
hundred  yards  wide,  across  which  the  black  water  was 
boiHnor  swiftly,  thou_L,di  not  so  swiftly  as  to  prevent 
the  playful  o^ambols  of  several  seals,  that  kept  bobbinjr 
their  heads  up  and  treadino^  water  to  have  a  good 
look  at  us. 

The  reason  for  all  the  sledge  tracks  was  now  evi- 


I    ( 


il 


INHABITANTS  OF  THE  SNOW  VILLAGE. 

dent.  Kvo  was  at  once  all  excitement,  and  betrcred 
for  my  rifle  to  shoot  a  seal.  He  crej^t  to  the  ed^e  of 
the  hole  and  then  lay  llat  upon  the  ice,  but  with  the 
peculiar  Eskimo  disinclination  to  waste  a  priceless 
bullet  unless  absolutely  sure  of  the  game,  he  waited 
and  waited,  throwing  awa\'  chances  that  any  other 
than  an  Eskimo  hunier  would  take,  until  at  last  my 
patience  was  exhausted,  and  calling  him  back  we  re- 
sumed our  journey.  The  j)resence  of  this  pool  of 
water  would  seem  to  lend  colour  to  the  statement  ap- 


Around  Injj^lcfield  Gulf  by  Sledge 


253 


pearino^  upon  some  charts,  that  tlicre  is  o])L'n  water  in 
this  channel  throu;;j^hout  the  year. 

After  leavino;^  the  o|)en  water,  we  found  the  surface 
very  firm,  the  wind,  which  is  always  whistlinij^  tlirouoh 
this  narrow  channel,  having-  packed  the  snow  or  swept 
it  away.      So  we  were  all  able  to  ride  upon  the  sledf^e. 

We  had  been  sj^oini^  on  merrily  in  this  way  for  some 
time  when,  as  we  neared  the  sharp  point  of  rocks  at 


NETIULUME. 


the  south-eastern  extremity  oi  Northumberland  Isl- 
and, my  team  suddenly,  without  a  movement  of  the 
whip,  i^roke  into  a  wild  gallop  and  chorus  of  yells,  and 
before  Mrs.  Peary  and  myself  could  recover  from  our 
astonishment,  they  had  whirled  us  round  tlu;  rocks, 
and  dashed  us  u])  to  the  ice-foot  in  front  of  an  I'^skimo 
snow  villa    e. 

By  the  lime  we  could  step  off  the  sledge  we  were 


> 


f  a 


254       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice 


f:^ 


I: 


I  fj.i 


i   i  h 


surrounded  by  the  inhabitants,  amon^rwhom  wc  found 
several  of  our  winter  visitors  from  Cape  York,  also 
Ikwa  and  his  family,  and  several  natives  whom  we 
had  not  before  seen.  They  had  becMi  attracted  iieie 
by  the  open  water  and  the  seals,  and  the  numbers  of 
frozen  seals  lyintj^  about  the  houses  -ind  on  the  ice- 
foot showed  that  they  were  reaping;  a  {plentiful  harvest. 
It  was  ten  o'clock  when  we  reached  this  vilhiire,  and 
thoujj^h  still  daylii^ht,  a  fierce  wind  was  sweepinij;-  down 
Whale  Sound,  whistlini;  about  the  cliffs  and  t^^atherinj^ 
its  forces  for  the  approach inij;-  midnight. 

Tahtahrah  (the  kittiwake  i^ull),  rather  a  pleasant- 
faced  young  fellow,  who  had  been  at  Red  Cliff  dur- 
inof  the  winter,  and  who  was  now  livinij:  here  with 
his  wife,  father  and  mother,  brother  and  brother's 
wife,  placed  his  snow  i<(loo,  th^i  larircst  one  in  the 
villai^e,  at  the  disposal  of  the  kapitansoak  and  his 
koojiali  (wife),  and  the  increasint^  violence  of  the 
wind  made  us  glad  to  accept  the  proffered  hospitality. 

Our  rest  in  this  igloo,  however,  was  neither  sound 
nor  refreshing.  Mrs.  Peary  experienced  constant  and 
flagrant  offence  to  every  known  and  unknown  sense, 
while  I  was  still  uncertain  and  a  little  distrustful  of 
the  natives  in  connection  with  my  dogs,  remembering 
my  experience  of  the  previous  fall,  when  after  pur- 
chasing dogs  I  loaned  them  to  their  original  owner 
for  a  day  and  never  saw  them  again.  Consequently 
I  was  keenly  alive  to  every  sound  from  my  team  teth- 
ered out  on  the  ice-foot,  and  frequently  found  excuses 
to  (TO  outside  and  see  that  the  dogs  were  all  right. 

When  the  sun  rose  above  the  clifts  from  his  short 
midnight  dip,  Wliale  Sound,  between  us  and  Netiu- 
lume,  on  the  mainland  across  the  Sound,  was  a  whirl- 
ing mass  of  golden  spray.  The  flying  snow  of  the  in- 
terior ice-cap  swept  down  over  the  great  glaciers  at  the 
head  of  Inglefield  Gulf,  then  through  Whale  Sound, 


If/ 


..i&ii 


Around  Iiv^icnckl  Gulf  by  Slcdj^c       255 

and  passed  us,  to  be  deposited  at  last  out  in  the  open 
North  Water.  Even  the  Eskimos  shook  their  heads 
dubiously  about  g^oino-  out  in  this  blindinjj^  drift,  and 
as  we  were  not  obliij^ed  to  hurry.  I  waited  at  this  vilk.<j^e 
until  ten  a.m.,  when  the  wind  subsided,  and  we  started 
westward  alonof  the  south  shore  of  Northumberland 
Island,  for  the  permanent  settlement  of  Keate,  about 
five  miles  distant.  We  were  accompanied  on  this 
march  by  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  snow 


KEATE  PEOPLE. 


village  that  was  able  to  walk,  and  as  we  moved  along 
with  the  men  beside  or  close  behind  our  sledge,  the 
women  behind  them,  and  the  old  men  and  children 
straggling  along  in  the  rear,  I  could  think  o'  nothing 
but  "a  circus  being  escorted  out  of  a  country  town  by 
its  admirers. 

At  Keate  we  found  Ahngodoblaho,  or  "the  dog 
man,"  as  we  called  him,  because  we  had  first  known  him 
as  the  proud  possessor  of  three  magnificent  Eskimo 


rirnuijii 


ll         ' 


256       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

(l()L(s,  trainctl  to  flight  the  polar  l)car,  ([iiick  and  power- 
ful as  wolves,  yet  ap|)arently  williiiij;'  to  he  friendly. 
Here  also  we  found  Mahotia,  or  the  "Comedian,"  as 
he  had  been  nicknamed.  These  two  men,  with  their 
families,  were  domiciled  in  stone  and  turf  igloos, 
banked  in  now  with  snow,  and  still  further  protected 
by  loni^,  narrow,  snow  entrances,  the  houses  built  upon 
a  little  Ljently  slopino-  plateau,  a  hundred  feet  or  so 
above  hiu-h-water  line  and  beside  a  fair-sized  <dacier. 


THE  POPULATION  OF  NETIULUME. 

Presents  of  smoked-olass  L^os^oles  to  the  men, 
needles  to  the  women,  and  biscuits  all  round  to  the 
numerous  children,  put  (Jiu"  relations  with  the  natives 
upon  the  most  amicable  basis,  and  in  a  very  short 
time  I  had  purchased  the  three  fine  bear-do^s  from 
Ahui^odoblaho,  and  a  generous  load  of  walrus  meat 
for  my  doos  from  the  "Comedian."  Within  an  hour 
after  we  had  touched  the  ice-foot  at  Keate,  Kao's  whip 
was  crackinsjf  merrilv  as  we  dashetl  raii(H\-  southward 
across  tlu!  frozen  surface  of  Whale  .^,)und  on  a  bee- 


riiUMiii-ilhOiiiritirWiiii  nriMiMMiil 


Around  Iiiglcfickl  (iulf  by  Slctl^c 


25/ 


line  for  Nctiulunic,  faithful  Ikwa,  with  a  scrub  team 
of  youiiL,^  closes,  followiiiL;-  us  ;  while  Ciibson,  with  his 
load  of  im-at,  and  the  rest  of  the  natives,  went  back  to 
the  snow  villaij^e  on  his  way  to  Red  Cliff.  I'\)ur  hours 
and  a  half  lat(T  we  tlashecl  at  the  ice-foot  in  P)arden 
Hay,  above  which  are  the  houses  of  W^tiulume. 

Our  cominir  had  bec-n  seen  bv  the  sharp  e\('s  of  the 
natives  Ioul;-  before  we  arrived,  and  ever\()ne  was  out 
ready  to  ^reet  us.  We  founil  here  some  forty-odd 
natives,  comi)risins^,  in  addition  to  the  rej^ailar  inhabit- 
ants of  the  place,  somt;  who  had  come  up  from  Caj)e 
York,  and  were  on  their  way  to  Rv\\  Cliff  Mouse,  and 
some  who  had  been  at  Rvx\  Cliff  and  were  now  rest- 
ini^  here  on  their  way  south.  Amonj^  these  were 
Talakoteah,  my 
mail  carrier,  Kes- 
suh,  the  Cape- 
York  dude,  the 
widow  antl  her 
swain,  and  Ahhe- 
yu  with  his  little 
wife.  H(.'re,  too, 
we  found  quaint 
old  Arrotoksoah, 
or  "  MoraceCree- 
ley,"  and  his  wife, 
"  Saire)'  Ganip." 

Most  interest- 
inir  to  me  of  all 
these  natives  was 
Merktoshar,  the 
one-eyed  bear 
hunter,  of  whose 
exploits  every 
native  visitimj^  Red  Cliff  had  had  somethino;-  to  say. 
And   yet,   ihouLdi    Merktoshar   had   an    old   rith-,   for 

17 


MERKTOSHAR. 


i 


H 


in 


M        I. 


■'I 


!ll. 


!      ! 


Il 


25.S       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

which,  of  course!,  he  must  want  amniunitioti,  and 
thouj^h  \w.  lived  but  a  day's  slcd^c  ride  from  Red 
Cliff  House,  he  hail  never  been  to  our  home,  and 
had  never  sent  an\'  messaii^e  in  rej^ard  to  tradinjj^ 
for  ammunition.  I  was  curious  to  see  the  man  and 
fmd  out  whether  he  considered  the  white  man  an 
interloi)er,  or  whether  he  himself  was  too  inde- 
j)endent  to  call  upon  him.  I  found  him  extremely 
inoffensive  in  aj)i)earance,  with  his  lonL,^  black  hair 
strat^Lj^linL]^  in  disorder  over  his  one  eye.  I  was  soon 
on  the  best  of  terms  with  him.  and  had  no  trouble  in 
neirotiatini^  for  the  two  best  do^rs  in  his  famous  bear- 
pack.  Merktoshar  was  actually  stupid  in  appearance, 
and  moved  as  if  half  asleep,  and  I  made  uj)  my  mind 
that  his  prowess  had  been  very  much  overrated  by  his 
comrades  in  the  tribe,  and  laid  the  fact  of  his  not  hav- 
ini^  come  to  Red  Cliff  House  to  inherent  laziness. 
Later  I  knew  him  better,  and  found  that  that  one  eye 
of  his,  behind  its  veil  of  black  hair,  saw  as  much  as 
any  other  two  eyes  in  the  tribe  ;  and  when  I  saw  that 
same  eye  snap  and  Li^litter,  and  every  nerve  and  fibre 
in  his  frame  flash  into  quivering  yet  restrained  excite- 
ment, at  the  sound  of  a  sinj^inij;-  harpoon  line,  with  a 
hujL^e  walrus  strui'^ti^linu;'  to  i^et  free,  I  easily  imagined 
him  in  a  hand-to-hand  struggle  with  his  favourite 
game,  the  polar  bear,  the  "tiger  of  the  North." 

Two  hours  and  a  half  at  Netiulume,  only  long 
enough  for  supper,  and  then  we  swung  out  upon  the 
ice  of  the  Sound  again,  and  started  on  a  trot  east- 
ward for  Ittibloo,  with  Merktoshar's  two  dogs  snarl- 
ing and  snapping  like  untamed  wolves  at  one  side  of 
the  team,  and  white  Lion  taking  every  opportunity 
to  attack  them  and  assert  his  supremacy  as  king  of  the 
team. 

We  passed  a  striking  trap  monument  just  east  of 
Netiulume,  and  then  glacier  after  glacier,  until,  at  two 


'  ^^'^ 


Around  Inglcfickl  Gulf  by  Slctlgc       259 

o'clock  in  the  morninjjf,  we  rmcIuicI  Ittil)loo,  situated 
upon  a  point  juttiii|L(  out  from  tlie  soutli  sliore  at  the 
mouth  of  the  (Jlriks  B.-"-.  Ittil)loo  is  confcHiiuled  on 
some  charts,  as,  for  instance,  the  Arctic  cliart  of  the 
United  States  Hydroi^raphic  Office,  with  NetiuhuiK!, 
or  NetHk,  as  it  is  called  on  some  maps,  the  Eskimo  vil- 
lage in  Harden  Hay.  At  one  time,  Ittihloo  was  quite 
a  settlement,    there    being   six   stone    igloos    on   the 


PANIKPA'S  IGLOO. 

Type  of  Permanent  Winter  Habitation. 

point,  and  a  very  considerable  burial-place.  At  the 
time  of  our  visit,  however,  but  one  of  these  igloos 
was  inhabited,  and  this  afforded  shelter  to  its  owner, 
Panikpa,  and  his  wife,  Irkolinea,  with  their  one 
child,  and  Panikpa'-.  father,  Komonahpik,  with  his 
third  wife,  Nooyahleah,  and  a  young  son  of  Tahwa- 
na,  the  Eskimo  living  at  the  head  of  the  Gulf.  The 
last  three  were  visitors.  Having  been  sixteen  hours 
on  the  march,  and  having  had  no  rest  to  speak  of 


im 


II 


f 


f.' 


260       Nortluvartl  over  the  "CJrcat  Ice 


t» 


(I 


if    t« 


th(;  previous  nij^ht,  we  \\cr(%  as  can  casil\  I)(.'  im- 
aj^ined,  l^^ooiI  aiul  ready  for  sleep.  lint  even  under 
these  circumstances  the  prottered  liospitalit\-  of  Pa- 
nikpa's  iL;ioo  had  no  charms  for  us,  and  with  the 
assistance;  of  K\()  and  old  Komonahpik,  I  half  built, 
half  excavated,  a  small   ii^doo  in  the  deep  snow  just 

above  the  icofoot. 
and  we  placed  our 
sleepinL;-baL;s  in 
it  and  turned  in. 
After  a  t^ood 
rest  in  this  ii^doo 
we  turned  out, 
and  after  break- 
fast climbed  to 
higher  ground, 
which  enabled  me 
to  j^et  a  L^^ood  view 
into  Olriks  Hay. 
Here  I  set  up  my 
transit,  and  to(jk 
a  round  of  bear- 
iniis  and  anides. 
This  work  com- 
pleted, I  made  a 
brief  reconnais- 
sance of  the 
neighbourhood 
and  of  the  Itti- 
bloo  Glacier, 
w  h  i  c  h  CO  m  e  s 
down  through  a 
narrow,  vertically 
walled  i^orge  in  the  mountains,  just  west  of  the  village, 
then  expands  into  a  broad,  fan-shaped  extremity  con- 
fined by  a  continuous  terminal  moraine. 


KIRSIRVIAUSU. 


«> 


Arouiul  Iiiglctickl  Gulf  by  Slcdj^c       201 

My  reconnaissance  was  not  an  extended  one,  owinLj 
to  the  extrenielv  dithciilt  character  ol  the  travelHiii^. 
The:  furious  fohn  of  the  niiihlli-  of  l'"ehruar\-,  with  its 
burden  of  sleet  and  rain,  as  it  descended  o\'er  the 
southern  cliffs  of  Whale  Sound,  hail  fallen  with  un- 
restrained fur\-  upon  the  IttiMoo  shore,  had  scoured 
every  hit  of  snow  from  th.e  land,  and  had  left  the  rocks 
coxe-red  with  a  thick  coating"  of  ice,  which  seemed 
almost  as  if  it  had  been  fused  to  them,  so  tirml)-  was 


-i-%::v     <* 


'ipc^^SSllS^^'^ 


■  vr  *  ••-•^f  y-siS*': 


MY  SLEEPING  TEAM. 

it  attached.  This  fact  and  the  extremely  rouirh  nature 
ot  the  reirion  made  travelliuLr  a  constant  menace  to 
feet  and  liml)s. 

At  eii>"ht  o'clock  in  the  eveniu''"  we  were  as^ain 
under  wa\-,  liavin^'  added  to  my  tc-am  four  additional 
doj^s  which  I  obtained  from  Panikpa.  One  of  these, 
1  soon  found,  was  in  the  acKanced  stai^es  of  the  doL,^ 
disease,  and  it  was  detached  from  th(  sledij^e  antl  left 
behind  before  we  had  t/one  a  hundred  yards.  This 
left   me  a   team   of  twelve,  and  it  was  worth  a  lon^ 


« 


^ 


262       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice 


t  ■■ 


•  i. 


h     • 


journey  to  sec  those  twelve  maj^niticent  beauties,  with 
heads  and  tails  in  the  air,  dash  out  upon  the  wind- 
hardened  surface  of  the  Sound  in  their  long,  woltish 
gallop,  a  veritable  pack  of  wolves  in  full  cry  after  a 
deer. 

Rapidly  we  dashed  away  across  the  mouth  of  Olriks 
Bay  for  the  bold  bluffs  opposite,  and  I  cast  frequent 
and  longing  glances  up  the  unknown  recesses  of  that 
arctic  fjord.  Never  had  old  Norse  saga  greater  at- 
tractions for  me  as  a  boy  than  have  these  magnificent 
Greenland  fjords,  winding  between  black  cliffs,  re- 
ceiving from  every  side  the  white  tribute  of  the  gla- 
ciers, and  ending  at  last  against  the  sapphire  wall  of 
some  mighty  torrent  from  the  interior  ice-cap,  a  torrent 
which  no  eyes  but  those  of  the  reindeer  and  the 
arctic  falcon  have  ever  seen.  Never  have  I  passed 
the  mouth  of  one  of  these  fjords  but  that,  without 
volition  on  my  part,  the  determination  has  been  re- 
corded to  penetrate  its  farthest  recesses.  But  time 
was  lacking  now,  and  I  was  obliged  to  keep  on. 

After  crossing  the  mouth  of  Olriks  Bay,  we  kept 
along  near  the  shore,  finding  very  good  travelling, 
until  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  just 
as  we  rounded  the  face  of  the  only  glacier  on  the 
south  side  of  Inglefield  Gulf,  between  Olr  iks  and  Acad- 
emy Bays,  we  came  upon  a  temporary  sno  vv  igloo,  which 
we  found  to  be  occupied  by  Tahwana,  with  his  ipiin- 
gali  (companion)  Kudlah  and  their  families.  These 
Eskimos  had  left  their  common  igloo  at  the  head  of 
the  Gulf,  and  were  on  their  way  to  Red  Cliff,  and  it 
beinofnow  the  season  of  the  year  when  the  seals  brino- 
forth  their  young  in  their  snow  houses  near  the  ice- 
bergs, they  were  travelling  leisurely,  and  living  upon 
the  fat  of  the  land  in  the  shape  of  both  young  and 
old  seals,  w^hich  they  surprised  in  their  retreats. 

Stopping  here  just  long  enough  to  acquaint  the  two 


:n . 


,:i,fmA-m«^.  **• 


Around  Inglcficld  Gulf  by  Sledge       263 

men  with  the  fact  that  I  wished  to  purchase  from  them 
such  material  for  clothini;  as  they  mi«^dit  have,  we  kept 
on  our  course  to  the  head  of  the  Gulf,  the  two  men 
accompanyini^^  us,  runnin^^  alternately  behind  and 
alonirside  of  the  sledi^a;.  All  the  way  up  to  this  point 
from  Ittibloo,  I  had  bee.i  able  to  look  directly  into  a 
very  considerable  bay  en  the  north  side  of  the  Gulf,  a 
bay  extending  about  due  north  to  the  ice-cap,  where 
it   ended  at  two  or   three  great  glaciers,   separated 


»' 


LION  ISLANDS. 

Looking  from  Nunatoksoah. 

by  black  nunataks.  This  was  evidently  the  bay 
which  Astriip,  in  his  ice-cap  reconnaissance  during 
August,  had  reported  as  cutting  across  his  path,  and 
which  he  and  Gibson  had  reported  as  having  seen, 
during  their  September  and  October  ice-cap  journeys, 
extending  from  near  the  head  of  Tooktoo  Valley 
southward  to  Whale  Sound.  Now,  as  we  proceeded 
up  the  Sound  from  Tahwana's  temporary  igloo,  the 
panorama  of  Inglefield  Gulf  began  to  open  out  l^efore 
me,  and  I  recognised  as  a  certainty  what  I  had  for 
some  time  surmised,  that  such  maps  as   we  have  of 


264       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


I  / 


1     » 


k 


t! 


hi!: 


Ingleficld  Oulf  and  the  upper  portion  of  Whale  Sound 
have  been  drawn  entirely  from  the  reports  o{  the 
natives,  and  that  no  e.\i)lor(;r's  eye  has  seen  this 
reij;-ion  beyond  the  rani^e  of  vision  from  the  eastern 
end  of  Herbert  Island. 

About  six  o'clock  in  the  morninL,^  we  reached 
Academy  Bay,  and  startini^^  across  it  for  the  point  on 
the  opposite  side  where  we  were  told  Tahwana's 
ii^^loo  was  situated,  we   reach(;d,  a   short   distance  out 

in  the  Bay,  a  little 
(^•neissose  island. 
As  we  had  been 
travelling-  now 
nearly  twelve 
hours,  I  tlecided 
to  make  our  next 
bivouac  liere, 
which  we  pro- 
ceeded to  do  by 
spreadintr  our 
s  1  e  e  p  i  n  l;"  - 1 )  a  Li' s 
upon  a  sheltered 
letloe  at  the  foot 
of  a  vertical  rock 
face  exposed  to 
the  sun.  Awak- 
ing;-several  liours 
later  rested  and 
refreshed,  we  ate 
our  breakfast 
and  then  climbed 
to  the  summit  of 
the  island,  where 
I  set  up  m\-  tran- 
sit, and  took  a  complete  round  of  anj^des  and  a  continu- 
ous series  of  photographic  views.      From   this   little 


ROCK  STRATIFICATION. 

Nortli  Side  of  Little  Matterliorn, 


ill 


■IHIIIIMHMII 


i 


Around  Inglcfield  Gulf  by  Sledge       265 

island,  which  1  named  Ptarmii^^an,  from  the  numerous 
tracks  upon  it,  t)ur  course  lay  straiij^ht  across  the  Tnouth 
of  the  Hay  to  Tahwana's  is^loo.  Arriving-  here,  I  made 
no  stop  excejjt  to  unload  my  sledij^e,  and  then,  with  Kutl- 
lah  for  driver,  kejjt  straii^ht  up  the  Gulf  (eastward  for  the 
L,rreat  L,daci(T,  whose  t^deaminij^  face  we  could  distinctK' 
see  from  the  ij^doo.  It  was  just  after  mitlni^ht  when  we 
left  Tahwana's.  and  we  found  the  snow  much  deei)c.T 
and  softer  beyond  here,  and  the  travelling  was  conse- 


*  ^-  V,M,A 


r 


FACE  OF  HEILPRIN  GLACIER. 

([uently  more  laborious.  Two  or  three  miles  before 
reaching-  the  glacier  itself,  we  passed  a  small  island  ol 
rock,  which,  seen  from  the  west,  is  such  a  perfect  coiui- 
terpart,  on  a  small  scale,  of  the  Matterhorn,  that  1 
named  it  at  once  the  Little  Matterhorn.  M\  objectivt- 
point  was  one  of  the  rocky  iskunls,  half  buri('d  in  the 
face  of  the  glacier,  and  probably  destined  soon  to  be- 
come a  nunatak.  Reaching  the  shore  of  this  island  and 
telliu"-  Kudlah  to  look  out  for  the  dogs  and  sledge.  Mrs. 


w 


I  I 


I.'        i"' 

1    f  *  •'- 


■\ 


I  i 


266       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

Peary  and  1  put  on  our  snow-shoes  and  climbed  to  the 
summit,  over  the  roui^di  rocks  and  across  the  deep  drifts 
of  snow.  I'Vom  tliis  point  we  commanded  the  entire 
width  of  the  sT^reat  Macier,  from  the  main  shore  of  the 
(nilf  to  the  south,  and  comparatively  near  us,  north- 
ward to  the  distant  Smithson   Mountains. 

An  archijjelao'o  of  small  islands  here  is  evidently  a 
•■^erious  obstacle'  to  the  threat  sj^lacier,  and  has  resulted 
in  dellectinir  the  icc;-stream  north-westwartl,  so  that 
practically  its  entire  (nittlow  is  north  of  the  islands 
and  between  them  and  the  Smithson  Mountains.  It 
is  a  mi^rhty  ice-stream,  exceedin^,^  in  size  the  glaciers 
of  Jacobshavn,  Tossukatek,  or  Great  Kariak,  and  I 
christened  it  the  Heilprin  Cilacier. 

I  was  anxious  to  iret  northward  into  the  north-east- 
ern  anjde  of  the  (lulf,  and  on  descending-  to  the 
sledge  told  Kudlah  to  drive  in  that  direction.  He 
said  it  would  be  very  difficult  and  slow  travelling,  as 
the  snow  was  alwa\s  deep  over  there,  and  the  sharp 
blocks  of  ice  were  troublesome.  However,  as  I  in- 
sisted on  going,  he  cracked  his  whip  and  started  the 
team  in  the  desired  direction.  It  was  not  long,  how- 
ever, before  I  found  that  Kudlah  was  right.  As  we 
got  away  from  the  south  shore  of  the  Ciulf  I  found 
the  snow  increasing  in  depth  and  lightness,  and  the 
sharp  fragments  of  ice  from  the  glacier,  which  had 
been  caught  in  the  new  ice  when  it  formed,  and  which 
we  now  found  thickly  scattered  along  our  course, 
their  sharp  edges  completely  hidden  beneath  the  soft 
snow,  threatened  almost  constantly  the  destruction 
of  my  sledge  runners.  Under  these  circumstances  I 
was  constrained  to  halt  at  the  most  northerly  island 
of  the  group,  and  while  Mrs.  Peary  curled  herself  on 
the  sledge  in  the  sun  for  a  nap,  Kudlah  and  myself 
climbed  to  the  summit  of  the  island  for  another 
round  of  bearings. 


.•4i. 


Around  In^lcficld  Gulf  by  Sledge       267 

On  this  island  \vc  found  deer  tracks  so  fresh  that  I 
have  no  doubt  one  or  two  of  tlie  animals  were  on  the 
island  at  the  tini(,'  of  our  visit  ;  hut  1  had  no  time  to 
chase  them,  and,  descendinj^  to  the  sledi^^e,  we  startetl 
back  for  Tahwana's  isj^loo,  and  rt-ached  it  ajj^ain  after 
an  absence  of  ten  hours. 

Ai^ain  we  resisted  the  seductive  lu.xury  of  a  native 
i^loo,  and  spread  our  bags  upon  the  bay  ice  on  the 


TAHWANA  AND  HIS  FAMILY. 


sunny  side  of  the  ice-foot  ;  but,  as  it  was  our  first,  I 
think  it  will  be  our  last  selection  of  such  a  place  for  a 
camp.  After  sleepin^^  I  know  not  how  lonjj;',  I  was 
awakened  by  unpleasant  sensations,  and  found  my 
sleeping-bag  full  of  water,  and  the  site  of  our  camp 
transformed  into  a  pool  of  sen^ii-licpiid  slush,  caused 
by  the  overflow  of  the  risin^r  tide  throuLfh  a  crack  in 
the   ice-foot   near  us.      Jumping  out  of    m\-  bag   with 


I? 


'■I 


11     ' 


P    Mil 


': '/ 


268        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

th(;  utmost  cc-lcrity,  I  found  that  Mrs.  Pcarx's  head 
and  the  mouth,  of  her  baj^  were  just  on  the  shore  of 
the  httle  pond,  and  the  water  had  evidcMitly  as  yet 
neither  reached  the  mouth  of  her  l)aL,r  nor  soaked 
throujj^h  the  ha_L(  itself,  for  she  was  still  calmly  sleep- 
in^-.  Knowinorthat  any  movement  on  her  part  would 
be  likel)-  to  let  the;  water  into  her  ha^-,  I  seized  her, 
bai^  and  all,  and  stood  her  on  end,  in  the  same  irrever- 


FACE  OF  HURLBUT  GLACIER. 


ent  manner  that  a  miller  ends  up  a  hiv^  of  meal  ; 
then,  before  she  was  fairly  awake,  she  was  carried  out 
of  the  water,  and  tleposited  upon  the  dry  snow. 

This  experience  was  a  \-er\-  empliatic  illustration 
of  the  serious  discomfort  and  inconxciiience  to  Arctic 
travellers  resultinL,^  from  o-ettin^^^  thc'ir  c'(iuipment  wet. 
My  slc«'pino--l)aj4'  and  some  few  articU^s  ot  clothin;^ 
that  tlid  not  escape  the  inundation  were  not  thoroughly 


MNMB 


I* 


i 


Around  Inglcfickl  (iulf  by  Sledge.       269 

dried  until  ditvv  we  'cachctl  Rctl  Cliff,  thrt-t;  tlays 
later.  While  Mrs.  Peary,  now  thoroiiLildy  awakened, 
beat  and  scraped  as  much  of  the  fro/en  slush  from 
our  furs  as  she  could,  antl  then  spread  them  out  to  L^et 
all  [)ossil)le  benefit  from  the  sun's  ra\  s,  I  looked  over 
the  sealskins  and  other  articles  that  Tahwana  was 
willino"  to  let  me  have,  and  soon  effected  a  trade,  as 
the  result  of  which  he  became  the  happ\'  possessor  of 
a  lonLi-coveted  saw,  a  hunting-  knife,  a  hatchet,  and 
several  minor  articles. 

After  completing;  the  trade  and  loading-  my  pur- 
chases ui)on  the  sletl^i^e,  withanumbe-r  of  young"  seals, 
we  started  on  our  return  down  the  Ciulf. 

Crossing  the  mouth  of  Academ\-  Hay  from  Tahwa- 
na's  igloo,  we  sto[)ped  again  at  Ptarmigan  Island 
and  I  climbed  once  more  to  the  summit  to  fix  pre- 
ciseh'  the  bearing  of  one  or  two  points  across  the  head 
of  the  Culf.  Returning  to  the  sU'dge.  I  was  fortunate 
in  securing  two  of  the  beautiful  whiti!  birds  after 
which  I  had  named  the  island.  Perft^ctl)-  whiti",  cUitl 
strutting  about  the  little  rock  with  slow  steps  cUid 
erect  heads,  the  y  acted  as  if  the\-  were  indeed  the 
Lords  of  the  Isle.  From  Ptarmigan  Island  down  the 
Gulf  our  progress  was  rathe-r  slower  than  during  our 
upward  journey,  as  m\'  sledge  was  piled  high  with 
seals  and  sealskins  obtained  from  Tahwana. 

We  did  not  stop  until  we  reached  the  temporary 
snow  igloo  at  which  we  had  first  found  Tahwana. 
Here  the  dogs  were  unfastcMied  from  the  sledge  and 
we  made  preparations  for  our  bivouac.  The  weather 
still  being  perfect,  as  it  had  Ix-en  throughout  our 
entire  journe\-.  I  simply  excavated  a  rectangular  pit 
in  a  convenient  snow-drift  with  a  wall  of  snow-blocks 
ranged  across  the  wintlward  end  and  part  way  down 
two  sides  as  a  wind  guard.  Here,  after  our  evening 
cup  of  tea  was  made,  we  turned  in  in  our  sleeping-bags 


270       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice 


f ' 


and  liad  the;  most  c'ni()\al)lc  and  in  fact  the  onK'  iin- 
intc-rruptc'd  slccj)  (Un^inL;"  our  (-ntirc   journey. 

Rising-  rested  antl  refrc-shed  as  tlie  sun  rolled 
round  into  the  west,  I  started  with  Mrs.  l\ar\  and 
the  twelve-\('ar-old  l^skimo  l)o\-  Sipsu  for  an  exaniina- 
tion  of  the  glacier  near  us.  .ScalinL^-  the  seaward  end 
of  its  eastc;rn  lateral  moraine,  nc  reachctd  the  sharp 
ricJL^e  of  the  moraine  and  then  climbed  up  its  rapidly 


^ 

f^^ 


h:- 


•% 


GORGE  OF  HURLBUT  GLACIER. 


/     I 


ascend inLT  ofradient  towards  the  narrow  Liorw  in  the 
cliffs  throuc^h  which  the  glacier  forced  its  wa)'  from 
the  interior  ice-cap. 

This  g-lacier,  which  I  christened  Hurlbut  Glacier, 
though  not  of  the  first  magnitude,  was  particularl)-  in- 
terestino-  from  the  almost  liquid  manner  in  which  the 
ice  seemed  to  hurl  itself  through  the  (gateway  of  the 
g'org'e.     Several  photographs  of  the  glacier  did  not 


' 


f 


If 


I 


Around  Inglcficld  CJulf  by  Sledge 


271 


prove  as  (,'ffcctiv(;  as  the  actual  view,  owin^-  to  the 
deep  covering-  of  snow,  which  hid  the  lines  of  deinark- 
ation  between  the  ice  and  the  rocks. 

While  we  were  making  this  reconnaissance  of  the 
L^lacier,  one  of  the  peculiar  frost  showers  of  the  arctic 
spring"  came  swccpiuL;  up  the  iLji'ulf  from  llerlx-rt  Isl- 
and, in  the  sha|)e  of  a  blinilinn-  white  wall,  which  hid 
everything-  that  it  passed  over.  As  it  reached  us, 
the  sun  was  surrounck;d  by  a  prismatic  halo,  aiul  the 
minutest  ncHidledike  crystals  of  frost  fell  la/il\-  through 
the  air.  This  shower  passed  almost  as  rapidK'  as  it 
had  come;  uj),  only  to  be  followed  by  others  which  swi-pt 
up  the  Ciulf,  oblitc^ratinu^,  as  they  passed,  the  northern 
shore,  even  as  summer  showers  alternately  hide  an-' 
reveal  the  opi)osite  shore  of  a  broad  river. 

In  the  midst  of  these  showers  we  i^'ot  under  way  and 
continued  down  the  (lulf,  sayin^,^  L(ood-bye  to  Tah- 
wana  and  his  famil)-.  who,  however,  were  already 
breaking'  cam})  i\\u\  packin^,^  their  sledi^e  to  follow  us. 
Without  do_L;"s,  however,  and  encumbered  by  women 
and  children,  their  progress  would  be  slow  as  com- 
pared with  that  of  the  kapitausoak  with  his  team  of 
twelve  maj^nificent  do_L;s.  I  should  be  at  Red  Cliff 
in  two  marches,  while  they  expected  to  be  five  or  six- 
days  on  the  way. 

Keepini;-  eastward  close  by  the  shore  for  several 
miles  froni  the  snow  ii^loo,  we  then  left  the  now 
southerly  trendini;;^  shore  and  struck  out  as  the  crow 
tlies  down  the  centre  of  the  Gulf  for  the  eastern  aw^X 
of  Herbert  Island,  risinjj^  far  westward  above  the 
white  expanse,  like  the  bastion  of  some  jj^reat  red 
fortress.  It  was  a  lons^-  and  tedious  pull  for  my  doi^s, 
as  the  snow  in  many  placc-s  was  (piite  deep  and  had 
not  been  sut'ticienth'  wind-beaten  to  support  them. 
Still  they  kept  bravely  to  their  work,  thouj^di  nothini^ 
is  more  disaijreeable  to  the  Eskimo  do<j^  than  a  slow, 


( 


if 


«(l 


272 


Northward  over  the  "(^rcat  Ice 


\'< 


h       • 


tti 


steady  dra^j.  In  the  forenoon  ol  the  next  chiy,  we 
reached  tlie  ice-foot,  ni  front  of  thj  deserted  ii^^loos, 
on  the  easternmost  point  of  Her])ert  Islintl.  I'n- 
fastcmin^r  the  ch)!:;s  and  L,n\'ini^^  them  their  dinner, 
\\v.  then  preparetl  and  ate:  our  own  ;  and  then  Kyo 
crei)t  into  one  of  the  i^lot'S  and  riirk\i  liimself  up  for 
sleep,  while  Mrs,  Peary  and  myself  spread  a  few  seal- 


BACK  TO  RED  CLIFF. 


skins  upon  che  snow,  crept  into  oursleepiui^j^-baj^s,  and 
went  to  sleep  in  the  sun.  Here,  after  some  four  hours' 
sleep,  we  were  joined  by  Tahtahrah  and  Kooloot  ng-- 
wah,  two  youui^  Eskmios,  who  had  come  out  from  Red 
Cliff  on  one  of  my  sledges,  with  one  of  my  W'inches- 
ten3  and  their  own  dogrs,  after  seals.  They  hatl  already 
obtained  two,  and  loadiuLi^  these  upon  their  sled^^e 
they    started    off    over    the    now   well-travelled    road 


•V'4^ 


'im-r^-^-'i 


mSIm 


Around  Ins-lcftcid  (iulf  Ijv  Slcdi^c 


/J 


to   Capti  Cleveland.      We  soon  followed  them,  and  a 

little  '"X'fore  niidni|^ht  on  Sunday,  April  24th,  we  came 

dashing'  over  the  ice-foot  in  front  of  Red  Cliff,  after  a 

sledire  iournev  of  some:   two  hundred  and  fifty  miles, 

and  an  absence  of  a  week  from  <jur  Greenland   home. 
18 


h\ 


»  r 

h    ' 


J! 


I' 


''-'  / 


.4.^4 


CHAPTER  X. 

i:<,)rFr.MK\  r,   roiiixk,  and  I!K(;i\\i\(;  of    i-iik  wifitk 

MAK(  II. 


Ar  Ska  as  to  Ciimiuk.ns  in  ui:  l-lNrorMKKKn— Ivjiipmi-.m  — Dues— 
Ci.DTMiNc.— Provisions— iNsiKiMiATs— km  riNK  oi.  Makih— I'm:  Siakt 
—Stormy    Weatiikk— In(ukkii;ii:i,k,    I)o(;s— Si.i:ki'i,i>s    Work  — Mv     I, i.e. 

TroI'III.KS     MK._Ki.acH     ElKlK    OK    TrIK    lM..\Mi    I(  K    ,\T    I.ASl— OVKR     HIE 

First    Dividk—Im,,    im.-,    Hr.Miioi.iic-Ci.Acn  r    li.vsix— A   Storm— Cami' 

SkI'AUAIToN  — ClIlSoN    .\M)    I  IR.    CodK    SlAKI     I!  \(  K. 


I 

I  ' 


w 


!ii 


i 


DOGS. 


^  .   -v 


■M 


.fffa«iital 


CHAPTER  X. 

EyUII'MEXT,     ROUTINE,    AND    BEGIXXING   OF   THE    WHITE 

MARCH. 


M 


Y  equipment  for  the 
march  across  the 
Cireat  Ice  was  the 
result  of  continuous  study 
and  experiment  on  every 
detail  throutrhout  the 
wmter. 

The  art  of  travelHncr 
upon  the  Inland  Ice  was 
in  its  infanc_  compared 
with  travel  over  the  sea 
ice  along-  an  arctic  shore- 
line, and  the  journey  I  proposed  to  take  was  one  which, 
in  distance  traversed  without  caches  or  depots  of  sup- 
plies, was  unprecedented. 

Lightness  and  strength  were  the  two  prime  factors 
which  ruled  with  iron  hand  in  the  working  out  of 
every  detail,  because  for  every  ounce  of  weight  which 
could  be  saved  in  equipment,  an  ounce  of  food  could 
be  substitiit(;d,  and  on  an  arctic  sledg  j  journey  pounds 
of  food  and  miles  of  travel  are  practically  synon\- 
mous. 

As  regarded  conditions  to  be  encountered,  I  was 
more  or  less  in   the  dark  :  it  could  not  be  taken  for 


'  '..ill 


I 


I 


27^       Northwcinl  over  the  "Great  Ice 


It '  .1 ' 


li 


{ 


If . 


I*  I 


]i 


ui'    ^  il 


i      'I 


1  i 


jrrantcd  that  these  would  be  the  same  from  yS"  N. 
Lat,  nortliward,  as  they  had  been  found  from  69°  N. 
Lat.  southward. 

As  to  the  probable  altitude  co  l)e  reached,  there 
was  nothiiiij;-  to  ij^uide  me.  It  miL,dit  not  be  over 
6000  feet  ;  it  mit^du  be  15,000.  I  could  only  de- 
vise my  equipment  in  such  a  way  that  it  would 
meet,  as  far  as  possible,  every  contin^j^ency  and  every 
extreme. 


THE  START  FROM  RED  CLIFF. 


Both  NorweLrian  ski  and  Indian  snow-shoes  were 
included  in  my  equipment,  as  each  has  its  advanta;^es, 
and  under  the  varied  conditions  of  the  ice-cap  both 
are  needed.      1  did  not  take  a  tent. 

As  to  doLTs.  I  started  from  Red  Cliff  with  twentv, 
but  one  was  already  in  the  ^rasp  of  the  {^X'A  piblockto 
and  died  at  the  edi^^e  of  the  ice-cap.  Two  others 
died  at  the  first  camp  on  the  ice-cap,  and  two  days 
later  a  fourth  escaped  and  returned  to  the  house. 
Two  others  returned  with  the  suj)porting  party,  leav- 


¥ 


•*«5kk 


:\' 


The  White  March 


279 


ino;^  me  with  fourteen,  one  of  which  was  used  up  and 
tHed  at  the  next  camp,  so  that  I  really  left  the  sup- 
portinij;^  party  with  thirteen,  and  only  eij^du  of  these 
reached  Independence  Hay. 

On  the  return,  three  more  jj^ave  out,  so  that  I  reached 
McCormick  Bay  with  hve  left  out  of  the  orii/inal 
twenty. 

Of  this  original  twenty,  twelve  were  first-class  ani- 


Heiison.     C(jok.  Astriip. 


f  "libson. 


-rh. 


THE  CAMP  ON  THE  BLUFFS. 


mals,  hardy  and  powerful,  trained  sledi^e-dojjjs  and 
bear  hunters,  the  others  hitches  and  inferior  do_L;s. 

Our  clothing  may  be  said  to  have  been  entirely  of 
fur,  a  light  suit  of  woollen  underclothing,  a  tlannel 
shirt,  a  jersey,  and  light  woollen  socks  being  the  only 
articles  of  civilised  make. 

The  provisions  for  an  arctic  sl(;dge  journe\-  must 
possess  the  important  desideratum  of  a  minimum 
weiLdit  and  bulk  for  a  eiven  nutritive  value. 


Ml 


(I 


It 


m 


M       • 


pM 


B  111 


h 


m 


I  » 


;      I 


i  ,  s 


\> 


280       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


Pemmican  '  is  the  mainstay  of  a  slcd^■c  ration. 
Next  in  order  of  importance  come  tea,  condensed 
milk,  biscuit,  compressed  pea  soup.  Other  articles  of 
which  small  quantities  were  carried,  simply  on  trial, 
were  expc:rime'ntal  pemmican  put  up  by  Parke,  Davis, 
&  Co.,  of  Detroit,  with  beef  meal  as  a  basis,  choco- 
late tablets,  composed  of  e(|ual  parts  of  beef  meal, 
chocolate,  and  su^ar,  also  prepared  by  Parke,  Davis, 
&  Co.,  and  Mos([uera's  food. 

My  do^r  food  consisted  of  pcnnmican,  eked  out  by 
thos(!  of  their  number  that  we  killed,  and  a  bountiful 
feast  of  musk-ox  meat  at  Independ'-nce  Bay. 

M)  instrumental  outfit  comprises!  a  small  traveller's 
theotlolite  by  Pauth  &  Co.,  of  W'ashino^ton,  a  pocket 
sextant,  an  artificial  horizon,  three  pocket  chrono- 
meters by  the  P^.  Howard  Watch  Co.,  of  Hoston, 
aneroids,  compasses,  odometers,'  thermometers. 

My  photoo^ra[)hic  outfit  consisted  of  two  No.  4 
kodaks  made  exj^ressly  for  me  by  the  P^astman  Co., 
and  two  rolls  of  films,  one  hundred  negatives  each. 

My  medical  stores  were  very  modest  yet  sufficient. 
The  only  demands  upon  them  were  for  an  occasional 
opium  i)ellet  for  our  eyes. 

For  firearms  I  carried  a  Winchester,  '73  model,  44- 
calibre,  carbine  with  full  mai^azine,  and  one  box  of 
cartridges. 

The  routine  on  the  march  for  at  least  nine-tenths 
of  the  time  was  as  follows  :  As  soon  as  the  sledge  was 
lashed   in  the  mornino^,  the  do^s  attached  to  it,  our 

'  I'eiiimicaii  is  a  concentrated  meat  food,  composed  of  lean  beef  dried  until 
friable,  then  ground  tine  and  mixed  with  beef  suet,  a  little  sugar,  and  a  few 
currants. 

■  Previous  to  tliis  expedition,  tlie  odometer  iiad  never  been  used  in  arctic  work. 
The  idea  of  its  use  in  ice-cap  work  occurred  to  nie  during  my  reconnaissance  in 
1S86,  am'  during  the  winter  at  Red  Cliff  twn  or  three  liglit,  string  wheels  had 
been  constructed  by  Astriip  and  myself,  after  my  designs.  l''or  the  ice-cap 
journev  one  of  these  wht^els  was  littetl  in  a  light  frame  atid  aitached  to  the  rear 
of  the  sledge.     It  worked  well  and  proved  invaluable. 


.\^ 


IS--". 


•«N 


The  White  March 


:8i 


sn()\v-sho(js  and  ski  strapped  on,  and  evcrsLiiin^"  in 
readiness  for  a  start,  I  stepped  out  to  the  front  with 
the  Httle  silken  L;uidon  my  wife  made  for  me  in  my 
hand,  and  took  the  proper  course,  while  Astriap 
tramped  alonij^  beside  the  sledij^e,  keepinj^-  each  dog 
up  to  his  work.  In  the  event  of  an  accident,  or 
troul^le  with  the  do^s,  we   both   worked  to  straiirhten 


thins^s  out. 


I'earv. 


Cuok.       Astriip.      (Jibson. 


PACKING. 


We  had  to  <4et  into  harness  ourselves  and  help  the 
doij^s  haul  almost  invariably  after  a  fn;sh  fall  of  snow, 
and  also  durino-  the  climb  up  tlui  slope  of  the  ice- 
cap, both  from  McCormick  Bay  and  Independence 
Bay.  At  these  times,  a  lon^,^  walrus-hide  line  was  run 
out  from  the  front  of  the  sledge  over  the  do^s,  so 
that  I  could  attach  it  to  my  shoulders  and  pull  while 
still  keepinsj^  in  advance  of  the  team.  Astriip,  with  a 
short  line  attached  to  the  side  of  the  sledm-,  was  able 


if 


IIM 


■    / 


282        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

to  i>ull  and  ill  tluj  same  tinic  attend  to  th(,'  doit's. 
W'c  came  to  the  rescue  in  this  way  durin^,^  al)out  t(;n 
days  of  the  entire  trip.  When  camp  was  pitched,  the 
sledi^e  end  of  the  traces  was  unfastened  from  the 
sledi^e  and  then  tied  u,  a  steel-pointed  alj)enstock, 
ch'ix'en  deepU'  into  the  snow  just  hexond  reacii  of  the 
canij)  and  sledges. 

The  care  of  the  do^s — that  is.  detacliiuL;- them  from 
the  sledges  at  nii^ht,  making-  them  fast  to  their  strik(,'S, 


UP  THE  RAVINE. 

feeding  them  once  a  da\'  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
march,  and  attaching  them  to  the  sledges  in  the 
morning — was  my  personal  charge.  When  the  march 
commenced,  the  dogs  were  in  Astriip's  charge  as 
driver  until  we  camped  at  night,  except  on  occasions 
when,  to  relieve  the  wear\ing  monotony,  we  alter- 
nated during  the  march,  hrst  one  and  then  the  other 
setting  the  course  and  driving  the  dogs.  Astriip  always 
built  the  snow  shelter,  or  kitchen,  as  we  called  it.    The 


The  White  March 


-^^3 


duties  of  cook  were  taken  In-  each  of  us  on  alternate; 
da\s,  antl  these;  duties  coveretl  the  entire  time  at  a 
camp.  The  man  on  ckit\- as  cook  slept  in  the  kitchen 
and  was  always  prepared  to  turn  out  at  an  instant's 
notice  to  capture  an\'  (Iol;-  that  had  broken  loose. 
The;  one  off  dut\'  slept  undtM"  the  sied^'e  cover  in  the 
le"  of  the  sledi^'e.  We  matle  hut  littk;  use  ol  our 
slei  i)inL;-bags,    and  at  the  end  of   three  weeks   threw 


FIRST  IGLOO  ON  THE  ICE-CAP. 

Sun-Cllacier  Gorge  in  Hackgrouiul. 

them  away.      It   is   perhaps   needless   to   say  we   did 
not  disrobe  on  retiring-. 

Our  preparations  for  sleej)  were  ver\'  simi)le.  As 
soon  as  supper  was  disposed  of,  we  rubbed  our  faces 
with  vaseline  to  ease  the  intense  burninL;-  from  the- 
sun  and  wind,  applied  a  drop  of  o|)ium  solution  to  our 
eyes  to  relieve  the  pain  from  the.-  blinding-  snow-^lare, 
tied  sometliino-  over  them  to  exclude  the  li.^ht,  closed 
all  openings  in  our  fur  clothing,  and  then  lay  down. 


i 


f 


m 


^ 


284       Northward  over  the  "  (ircat  Ice" 


i    i 


Invariably  in  the  mornini^  \vc  fount!  the  cIoil^s  in  a 
sorry  tantdc,  and  sonic  time  would  he  retjuired  to 
loosen  the  Gordian  knot  in  which  they  had  involved 
their  traces.  When  the  animals  set  earnestl)'  to 
work  to  tanL^h,'  these  traces  into  an  almost  inc-xtri- 
cahle  knot,  they  succeeded  ;  and  the  work  of  iindoini^ 
tht;  mischief  with  hauds  bared,  the  wind  blowin^i^  a 
i^ale,  and  the  temperature  at  its  lowest  was  a  vcn- 
thorouL,di  test  of  patience  and  oood-humour. 

One  of  the  'ost  nclusive  |)roofs  in  my  mind  that 
the  ancients  r;  x;  r  >  ul  any  actual  knowledge  of  the 
Arctic  regions  h*  ;  ':i\  the  fact  that  they  called  their 
worst  knot  the  viordi  *'  knot.  Any  well-re_L(ulated 
Eskimo-dog-  team  can  in  one  ni^dit  discount  a  dozen 
Gordians. 

After  the  experiments  of  the  first  few  weeks,  while 
the  supportinij;'  part\'  was  with  me,  the  daily  workino- 
ratlon  of  Astrtip  and  myself  settletl  down  to  from 
three-fourths  of  a  pound  to  one  pound  of  pemmican, 
with  biscuit,  condensed  milk,  compressed  pea  soup, 
tea,  and  alcohol  (fuel)  to  brinL(  the  ration  up  to  two 
and  one-half  pounds  i)er  man  per  da}'. 

We  had  three  meals  a  dav,  one  before  leavinof 
camp  in  the  morninsj;-,  a  lunch  at  the  midday  rest,  and 
the  third  after  reachin;^  camp  at  nii^ht. 

Our  only  beveraL^es  were  compressed  tea  put  up 
in  one-fourth-pound  cakes,  and  Borden's  extract  of 
coffee,  which  was  issued  for  breakfast  on  Sunday 
morning  during  the  first  half  of  the  journey. 

On  the  last  day  of  April,  in  magnificent  bracing 
weather,  the  cliffs  at  the  head  of  McCormick  Hay 
clear-cut  as  cameos  through  the  frost\'  air,  Dr.  Cook, 
Gibson,  Astriip,  Kyoahpahdu,  Tahwana.  Kookoo, 
and  two  Eskimo  boys,  opportune  arrivals  of  the 
night  before,  left  Red  Cliff  with  two  sledges  and 
twelve  do^-s  dragiring  the  last  of  the  Inland-Ice  sup- 


w  ^■t*»<Jb«ta.k, 


The  White  March 


2S5 


plies.  Three  days  later,  when  1  had  put  my  house' 
in  order  and  completed  the  thousand  and  oik;  little 
thini4;s  which  always  crowd  the  last  moments  of  pre- 
paration for  a  lon,!L(  journey.  I  followed,  with  Matt,  my 
remaininir  fiu-ht  doi^s.  and  the  ])h^  eiL,dneen-foot  tloo- 
sled^e.  The  start  was  made  at  half-jjast  ei_o-ht  in  the 
eveninu-,  as  during,'-  the  next  three  months  "the  usual 
order  of  thini^s  was  to  be  rexersed.  and  we  were  to 
travel  by  nii^ht  and  sleep  by  day.  l\nw  hours  after 
the  start.  m\-  do^^^s  were  scramblino^  over  the  ice-foot 
at   the  head  of  the   Bay,  and  a   few  moments  later 


i 

.1 


THE  CARAVAN  IN  LINE. 


my  Inland-Ice  sledi^e,  which  I  had  broujj^ht  up  on 
the  bii^  dojj^-sledge,  was  on  my  back,  and  with  Matt 
following  at  my  heels  with  a  couple  of  25-lb.  tins,  I 
beg'an  climbing-  the  bluff.  Sharp  rocks,  with  the 
spaces  between  them  filled  wnthsnow,  made  travelling 
laborious  and  slow',  and  it  w^as  about  three  in  the 
morning  when  I  rose  over  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  and 
stumbled  upon  my  boys  asleep  in  the  snow  with  their 
dogs  picketed  near.  I  did  not  intend  to  disturb  them, 
but  as  I  put  dow^n  my  sledge  and  turned  to  descend, 
the  Doctor  awoke  w^ith  a  start  and  very  soon  all  were 
awake.      I  found  all  of  the  supplies  had  been   backed 


f 


nmmtmm 


1       » 


286       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

to  the  ravine  half  a  mile  ahovc  the  canii),  and  cvL-ry- 
tliini;  was  in  reathness  to  start  with  the  cloi^s  from 
that  point.  RLturninn-  to  the  ice-foot.  Matt  and  I 
l)rouL;ht  up  another  load,  and  then,  leaving'  Matt  to 
^^et  a  little  sU;ep  with  the  other  boys.  I  went  down 
aj^ain  and  turned  in  as  I  was.  in  m\  furs,  in  the  re 
mains  of  a  snow  hut  near  the  Hay. 

When  I  awoke  a  few  hours  later,  the  boys  were  at 
the  door  of  the  ii^ioo,  and  I  fountl,  on  looking;'  uj)  the 
v^alley,  that  my  old  friend  the  Inland  Ic(;  was  evidently 


A  HALT  FOR  LUNCH. 


preparinjr  its  usual  reception  for  me  ;  the  leaden-^ij'rey 
clouds  massincj^  above  it  jj^ivini^  every  indication  of  an 
approaching^  storm.  Curiously  enough,  both  in  i(S86, 
when  I  went  on  the  Inland  Ice,  and  twice  aij^ain  this 
year,  when  I  climbed  the  ice-cap,  I  had  been  met  by 
furious  storms,  but  eventualK'  evervthinL^  had  turned 
out  well,  and  so  I  accepted  this  as  a  <j^ood  omen. 
Again  I  climbed  the  bluff,  this  tim(t  with  my  big  dog- 
sledge  on  my  shoulders,  the  other  boys  bringing  the 
remainder  of  the  load.  Carrying  everything  to  the 
ravine,  the  sledges  were  loaded  there,  and  we  be^ran  the 


|l        ■ 


^.4^* 


The  White  March 


287 


traiisixjrtation  from  ihc  ravine  to  Cache  Camp  at  tiic 
celiac  of  the  ice,  two  and  one-half  mik:^  from  camp  anil 
2525  feet  above  sea-level.  Several  steep  slopes  in 
the  ravine  and  on  the  plateau  above  reijuiretl  all  the 
dou's'  and  our  own  best  efforts  on  each  of  the  larijcr 
sledges.  Two  days  were  consumctl  in  brinL;in!L(  every- 
thing" up  to  the  Cache  Camp,  where  Matt  and  Ciibson 
had  built  a  snow  ii^loo,  and  where  we  cooked  our 
nu'als  at  a  fireplace  amonj.^  the  rocks  of  the  nuna- 
tak  close  b)-.  Durinj;'  all  this  time,  there;  were  si^ns 
of  comini^  atm()S[)heric  disturbances  of  morc!  than 
usual  intensity  :  a  [)recipitation  of  tine  frost  crystals, 
with  transient  snow-sijualls  ;  excpiisiti-  cloud  effects 
formed  and  vanished  in  and  over  McCormick  Bay, 
Avhile  over  the  Inland  Ice  wicked-looking"  white  cumuli 
Lj;-rew  aj^ainst  a  dark  lead-coloured  sk\-.  The  nij^ht 
temperatures  at  this  time  were  —  i"  and  — 2"  b.  At 
Cache  Camp,  our  supj)lies  and  miscellaneous  ecjuip- 
ment  were  sorted  and  distributed  to  the  different 
sledges,  and  here  bei(an  our  serious  trouble  with  our 
wild  wolves,  called  by  courtesy  doers.  Restless  under 
their  new  masters  and  fiohtin^-  constantl}-  amontj;- 
themselves,  these  brutes  ijaxe  us  not  a  moment's 
])eace.  Haidly  an  hour  passed  when  not  at  work 
that  one  or  tw^o  did  not  mana<4;e  to  break  their  harness 
or  eat  off  their  traces  and  free  themselves,  and  some- 
times four  or  five  would  be  loose  at  once.  lo  cap- 
ture and  re-secur(;  one  of  them  was  always  a  work  of 
time  and  more  or  less  in^"enuity,  and  frecjuently  re- 
sulted in  a  general  muster  for  the  Doctor's  services  in 
l)atchintj^  up  the  wountls  from  their  wolf-like  te(?th. 
Here,  too,  Matt's  frozim  heel  beg^an  to  trouble  him, 
and  I  deemed  it  best  to  send  him  back  to  Red  Clifi 
House.  This  precluded  all  possibility  of  my  taking 
with  me  more  than  one  companion  on  the  lonj^  journe)-. 
On  the  8th,  I  attempted  to  make  the  next  stag'e  from 


f 


) ' 


I 


(r 


I 


'I 


'     1 


I  ( 


It' 


288       Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

Ciichc  Camp  up  llic  lower  sloptis  of  tlu;  ice,  l)iit  a 
stron<r  wind  blowing  down  from  tlu;  interior  and 
driving;  the  loose  snow  in  the  face  of  my  doi^^s,  dis- 
couraj^ed  them  so  completely  that  we  could  do  nothin^^ 
with  them,  and  were  ohlijL^cd  to  await  the  pleasure  of 
the  weather.  I'inalU'  we  «mt  under  way  and  succeeded 
in  advancinp-  a  short  sta^e  round  th(^  north  side  of 
the  first  \)'Ujjr  hummock.  Here  a  sc;cond  i^loo  was 
built,  but  the  snow   beinj^    unsatisfactory   for    house 


SUPPER  IN  CAMP. 

construction,  only  a  small  one  was  practicable,  and, 
leaving  Astriip  and  the  Doctor  to  occupy  this,  Gibson 
and  I  went  back  down  to  the  iij;-loo  at  Cache  Camp 
to  sleep.  Tired  in  every  muscle  and  with  no  sleep 
for  sixty-four  hours,  I  think  I  must  have  fallen  asleep 
the  moment  I  tumbled  into  the  itrloo.  Twelve  hours 
later  I  awoke  to  hear  the  rush  of  the  wind  over  our 
shelter,  and  the  hiss  of  the  drifting  snow  against  its 
side.     This  continued  for  twenty-four  hours,  when  I 


The  White  Nhirch 


189 


could  stand  it  no  loiiLicr,  and  (iil)son  and  nnsclf 
startled  for  the  upper  i^loo.  I'icrcc  as  was  tht:  wind, 
which  sonietinics  nearly  upset  us,  and  stinj^injL^'  as  was 
the  driving;'  snow,  we  did  not  feel  the  cold,  as  our  lur 
clothini,^  kept  us  in  nion^  than  a  _l;1ow  ot  warmth. 
Slowly  we  struL;L;l<(l  up  the  slope.  fre(|uently  stopping; 
to  turn  our  hacks  to  the  wind  and  ^ct  ourhreath,  and 
at  last  came  in  sis^dit  of  the  u[)per  ii^loo.  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  describe  my  feelinjj^s  of  discourai^-ement  at  the 
sioht  that  met  me.  The  i^loo  was  almost  completely 
buried  in  the  snow  ;  its  ()ccui)ants  had  not  becMi  able  to 
expose  themselves  to  the  wind.     The  dogs,  restless 


GIBSON,  TEAM,  AND  SLEDGE. 

as  always  in  wind,  had  fought  with  each  other  and 

chewed  at  their  harnesses  and  traces  till  half  of  them 

were  loose  and  runnin<j;^at  will  about  the  sledges,  with 

their  stores  of  provisions,  while  the  rest  wx*re  nearly 

buried  in  a  hui^^e  drift  which  had  formed  about  them, 

and  as  I  <>ot  nearer  I  saw  that  three  out  of  th(?  twentv 

were  victims   of  the  dreaded  do^r  disease,  and  were 

almost    dead.      As  the   wind   was  still   blowinj^  with 

such    force   that    it   was    impossible   to   do  anythinLi;-, 

( libson   and  mvself  crouched  in  the  lee  of  the   i^loo, 

and  while  waitinjr  for  the  storm  to  cease,  learned  from 

the  Doctor  that  they  had  been  unable  to  o^et  out  of  the 
19 


* 


.'I 


290       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

U^lon  ;  in  fact,  hatl  all  they  could  do  to  save  it  from 
destruction  by  the  resistless  sand  blast  of  the  drivin:^- 
snow  ;  that  several  tins  of  provisions,  set  in  motion  by 
the  doos  tearing-  at  them,  had  been  driven  down  the 
steep  slope  into  the  L(lacier  below  ;  and  that  th(;  dous 
had  eaten  or  destroved  evervthiuL!'  that  thev  could 
iji'et  at.  Fortunateh'  this  latter  item  was  not  lar^e,  as 
all  ot  my  stores  were  in  substantial  tins.  As  soon 
as  the  wliid  ceased,  1  had  the  doj^s  that  were  fast  to 
dio-  out,  the  frozen  taiii^le  of  their  traces  to  unloosen, 
and  then  the  other  do^^^,  to  catch  and  re-harness.  As 
Gibson  said,  you  ma\'  talk  about  lassoinL!^  wild  steers 
in  Texas,  but  it  does  not  compare  with  r  "utlinm'  up 
Eskimo  dojji's.  The  usual  modeot  procedure  was  to 
entice  a  doL^'  b)"  judiciouslx'  thrown  morsels  of  UK'at  to 
within  reach,  antl  then  make  a  rapid  Lii'rab  for  him. 
throwinL;;-  our  fur-clad  bodies  upon  him  and  forcin*;-  his 
head  into  the  snow  as  quickly  as  possible.  This,  if 
skilfully  done, — and  constant  |)ractice  rapidly  taught 
us, — could  usually  be  accomplished  without  n.-ceixiuLi; 
more  than  two  or  three  bites.  With  one  or  two  of 
the  doL^s,  however,  it  w^as  different  :  these  it  was  neces- 
sary to  double  lasso  and  choke  into  insensibilit\\  be- 
fore the  harness  could  be  replaced,  brom  this  ii^ioo 
we  proceeded  by  double  banking'  about  three  miles 
farther,  before  we  were  oblii^ed  to  camp.  Here  we 
dispensed  with  an  i^-loo,  as  it  took  too  much  tinK-  to 
construct,  and  we  were  so  tired  that  we  could  sleep 
anywhere  that  we  could  lie  down. 

So  the  work  went  on,  under  man\- discoura^'ements, 
until  the  15th.  I  had  been  led  to  believe,  as  the  result 
of  the  reconnaissance  made  the  previous  fall,  that 
after  the  first  slope  had  been  accomplished  a  nearly 
level  route  would  be  found.  It  seems  that  the  de- 
ceptive light  of  the  autumn  twilight  had  misled  Astriij) 
and  Gibson,  and  I  found  that  I  must  drag  my  sledges 


mmatm 


m 


The  White  March 


291 


and  their  loads  up  one  snow  slope  antl  down  another 
for  a  distance  of  about  fifteen  miles,  before  reaching 
the  eas)',  gradual  slope  of  the  true!  Inland  Ice. 

Durinsj^  the  first  ten  days,  my  l)rok(.m  lej^  gave  me 
some  trouble,  and  rendered  the  scant  hours  of  rest 
which  the  exigencies  of  the  work  permitted,  less 
refreshing  than  they  might  have  been. 

The  excessi\(^  and  incessant  d(;mands  upon  it  from 
snow-shoeing,  lifting  on  the  sletlges,  running  after 
loose  dogs,  etc.,  would  have  taxetl  it  under  the  best 
of  circumstances.  :iP'l  now  with  the  muscles  still 
slightly    atroph'jd    from    disuse,    and    the    ligaments 


DR.  COOK,  TEAM,  AND  SLEDGE. 

Stiffened  from  the  healing  process,  the  result  was  a 
constant  dull  pain  which  I  was  only  too  glad  to  have 
reach  at  times  the  stage  of  numbness. 

This  wore  off  gradually,  and  the  ultimate  result 
was  undoubtedly  advantageous,  as  the  exercise  do 
manded  and  obtained  from  ligaments  and  joints  tlui 
full  range  of  flexure  they  had  ever  had  before  the 
accident,  perhaps  more. 

The  fact  that  within  less  than  ten  months  after  the 
fracture  of  both  bones  in  my  leg,  I  was  able  to  undertake 
and  go  through  with  a  1200-mile  tramp  on  snow-shoes 
without    more    serious    results    than    a   few   sleepless 


^\ 


i 


i  I 


■  n 


\\ 


m,  Vf 


292        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

hours,  is  an  ('inj)liatic  proof  of  the  healthiness  of  the 
chmate,  tlie  professional  skill  of  Dr.  Cook,  antl  the 
tender  care  of  Mrs.  Pear)'.  At  last,  on  tlie  15th,  I 
found  myself  looking,'-  up  that  lon^-,  easy,  white  slope 
which  I  knew  so  well,  and  in  reL!;ard  to  which  there 
could  be  no  mistake,  and  the  next  day  our  n-al  journey 
upon  the  ice-cap  may  l)e  said  to  have  commenced. 

M]  course  was  north-east  true,  which,  assumino-  the 
charts  to  be  correct,  should  enable  me  to  clear  the 
heads  of  the  Humboldt,  Pc;termann,  and  Sherard-Os- 
born  indentations. 

At  this  time,  I   had    but   sixteen   dogs  out  of  my 


ASTRUP,  TEAM,   AND  SLEDGE, 

twenty,  another  one  having  succumbed  to  the  dog 
disease.  As  a  result,  we  all  of  us  settled  into  the 
traces  and  did  our  share  of  the  hauling.  Two  short 
marches  of  five  and  seven  miles  brought  us  to  an  eleva- 
tion 01  five  thousand  feet,  and  early  in  the  third  march 
the  highest  summits  of  the  Whale-Sound  land  disap- 
peared, and  I  found  to  my  surprise  that  we  were 
descending,  having  already  passed  over  the  divide 
between  Whale  Sound  and  Kane  Basin,  and  being  on 
the  descent  towards  the  basin  of  the  1 1  umboldt  Cjlacier. 
By  this  time,  both  the  dogs  and  ourselves  had  gotten 
more  used  to  the  work,  our  sledges  had  been  better 


Hi 


The  WHiitc  March 


293 


adjnstL'd,  and  this  witli  the-  down  j^^radf  enabled  us  to 
make  better  time.  Our  third  march  havinL,^  l)een 
twelve  miles,  our  fourth  was  twent)',  antl  before  we 
went  into  camp  the  misty  mountain-tops  of  the  land 
between  Rensselaer  Harl30ur  and  the  south-eastern 
anole  of  Humboldt  Glacier  rose  into  vi(;w  in  the  dis- 
tant north-west.  The  next  day  we  tallied  twent}'  miles 
o\er  a  i^ently  undulatinir  and  jji'raduall)'  descending- 
surface,  but  on  the  followin^r  day  the  surface  became; 
much  more  hummocky,  and  just  about  midniorht  we 


-1!^ 


**«■• 


Lift 


SNOW  IGLOO  AT  HUMBOLDT  GLACIER. 

IJuried  Sledges  111  HackgrDund. 

came  out  upon  the  ice-bluffs  markino-  the  boundary 
of  the  glacier  basin  openinj^  down  towards  Mary  Min- 
turn  River.  My  north-east  course  just  cleared  these 
l)luffs,  but  fearing  others  ahead  I  tlellectetl  about 
five  miles  to  the  (eastward,  and  then  resumed  my 
course.  The  rough  nature  of  the  ice  made  this  day's 
march  comparatively  short,  and  the  atmosplieric  indic- 
ations being  those  of  a  coming  storm,  I  halted  early 
to  permit  the  construction  of  an  igloo  to  shelter  us. 
The  blue-black  sk\-  with   ani^n-  lead-coloured  clouds 


•i" 


294       Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice 


• 


niassini;  In-ncath  it,  tlic  _L,^l"iastly  whiteness  of  the  ice- 
hhnk,  and  the  raw,  ciittin*^^  south-east  wind  could  not 
be  misunderstood,  and  before  our  i^loo  wr-^  comj)l('te 
ever\lhinL,^  was  blottc^d  out  by  tli(;  (h'ivintj^  snow. 
Poor  (iibson,  I  pitied  liini  that  ni^dit,  for  it  was  his 
turn  to  do  the  "  costume  act,"  as  we  called  it  ,  in  other 
words,  it  was  his  turn  to  sk^ep  fully  dressed  outside, 
so  that  he  could  attend  instantU'  to  a  loose  doij;'  before 
he  had  done  any  clamai>(.'.  Hur  do^s  were  always 
bad  enouLj;"h  in  wind  and  storm,  but  this  tiuK;,  as  the 
storm  continued,  they  seemed  as  if  possessed  of  devils, 
howlin^r,  hi^htinL^,  and  tearing  themselves  loose  from 


li. 


i        ••    I 


ON  THE  MARCH. 


the  Stakes  to  which  the;-  ."ere  fastened,  and  when 
finally  Cjibson,  weary  with  !::s  f  f^forts  at  re-capturing, 
fell  asleep  for  d  few  momerus  nc  'ining  against  the 
entrance  of  the  igloo,  one  oi  Hidii  ate  the  bottom  off 
his  sleeping-bag,  while  another  bolted  about  six  pounds 
of  cranberry  jam,  nearly  half  my  entire  stock  for  the 
long  journey.  Fort)--eight  hours  of  incessant  wind 
and  snow,  and  then  the  storm  passed  over  north-west 
into  Kane  Basin,  and  left  us  in  peace.  As  we  crawled 
out  of  our  igloo  into  the  brilliant  sunshine  and  looked 
over  that  unbroken  expanse  of  snow,  stretching  to 
the  horizon  in  every  direction,  carved  and  scoured  l)y 


The  White  March 


2^5 


the  w'nd  into  marble  \va\cs,  there  was  one  of  the 
party  who  could  hardly  realise  that  the  church  bells 
were  rinu^in^-  thr()u_L,di  th(;  scented  atmosphere  of  June 
fields  and  forests  in  thousands  of  far-distant  home 
towns  and  villages.  Our  sled^'es  were  invisible,  com- 
pletely l)urietl  in  the  drifts  which  in  storms  on  the 
Inland  Ice  Lirow  around  and  over  the  slightest  ob- 
struction. Several  hours  were  occupied  in  the  work 
of  excaxatiuL^r  our  sledges  and  reloading;-  them,  of 
catching-  and  harnessinj^  the?  tloj^s,  antl  straightenino- 
out  the  tanLj;;les  of  the  traces  and  hcU'nesses. 

l)Ut  once  under  way,  we  found  that  th(;  storm  had 
in  one  sense  been  our  friend,  and  had  proved  a  i_;lori- 
ous  road-maker  for  us.  Sledges  and  do^s  slipped 
merrily  over  the  firm  sas/n!Q7\  ani".  with  comparatively 
little  difficulty  we  made  another  tw(.'nt\-mile  niarch. 
This  time  we  slept  behind  our  sledges,  and  .mother 
twent\-mile  march  the  followinLT  day  l)rous'ht  us  to 
the  camp  at  which  I  had  determined  the  su]>ju)rtin_<^^ 
party  should  leave  me.  We  were  now  one  huiidn-d 
and  thirt\-  mik^s  from  the  shore  of  McCormick  F);;v. 
and  though  the  road  back  was  perfectly  strai^iu:  and 
free  of  obstacles,  yet  the  descent  from  the  Inland  Ice 
miL^ht  be  dan^^erous  if  those  returninL(  did  not  make 
the  land  at  just  the  ri<^ht  point,  and  so  I  did  not  fe^l 
that  I  could  take  the  supportint:^  party  an)-  farri-i(  r. 
W  hen  we  camped,  I  told  the  boys  that  this  was  our 
last  camp  together,  that  after  w^e  h;'  '  slept  two  would 
return  and  two  oo  on.  Then  aft'  linner,  as  we  sat 
about  our  little  kitchen  before  tur  ,ig  in.  I  reminded 
them  of  what  I  had  said  early  in  t;  •  sprinjj^,  that  wh(;n 
we  reached  Humboldt  (ilacier  I  )uld  call  for  volun- 
teers for  the  lono^  trip,  and  fr^  -n  these  volimteers 
should  make  my  selection.  I  t<  d  them  they  liad  now 
been  on  the  ice-cap  lon^,^  enouirh  to  know  what  it 
was  like,  and  to  understand  that  it  was  no  child's  play. 


296        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

I  told  them  that  once  slcirlcd  there  could  Ix-  110  tiirii- 
\n'^  hack.  I  also  told  them  that  to  inaii\-  it  would 
seem  a  dangerous,  perhaps  foolhar'ly  thing  for  two 
men  to  strike  out  into  these  unknown  regions,  depend- 
ent only  upon  their  own  resources  and  health  for 
a  safe  return  ;  that  for  nnself  I  did  not  consider 
it  tiani^rcTous.  hut  that  each  man  must  decide  for 
himself.  'Idu;  Doctor  was  the  tirst  to  xolunteer.  ])ut 
Ciihson  and  Astriii)  were  close  hehind  him.  I  then 
made  my  detail   as  follows  :  xAstriip  to   00  with   me, 


f  lil)--()n. 


Dr.  (\>c<l 


't     ! 


GIBSON  AND  DR.  COOK  STARTING  BACK, 


Gibson  to  retur:i  in  conuuaiul 
and  when  he  had  reached  Rt 
his  entire  time  to  obtaining 
and  supplying-  the  part\-  with 
his  arrival  at  Red  Cliff,  was  to 
remain  in  that  capacity  unti 
land  ^ce.  In  a  few  momen 
mates  of  Camp  .Separation  w 
the  tired  antl  healthw  The 
relashin*'-  of  the  sledges  was 


1  of  the  sup|)ortino'  party. 
;d  Cliff  Idouse  to  devote 
ornitholoLii'ical  specimens 

oame.  Dr.  Cook,  upon 
assume  change  there,  and 

ni\-  return  from  the  In- 
Its.  all  but  one  of  the  in- 
■ere  sU^'pinq;  the  sleep  of 

next  mornino-  early,  the 
undertaken  and  soon  ac- 


.~^i-Si^ 


The  White  March 


2(): 


coinplishcd,  tlic  loads  carcfulK  rc-siowtjcl  aiul  secured, 
so  that  the  work  which  had  hitherto  been  done  hy 
four,  and  which  would  now  (le\()l\('  ui)on  two.  niii^ht 
be  as  easy  as  possible,  (jii)son  and  the  1  )octor  took 
their  personal  e([uipnients.  with  one  of  the  lighter 
sledges,  two  do_L,^s.  and  rations  for  tweKc  da\s  ;  then 
I  i^^ave  ("libson  an  extra  coni])ass.  one  of  my  chrono- 
meters, a  chart,  and  careful  instructions  as  to  makini^ 
the  land  at  McCormick  I)a\'.  and  we  W(  re  read\'  to 
separate.  Little  was  said,  but  I  think  we  all  lelt 
much  as  we  (|ui(^tly  shook  hands,  and  then  Astrup 
and  myself  started  out.  lea\in^'  the  I  )oct()r  and  (iibson 
looking'  after  us.  In  a  little  while  we  saw  them  under 
wa\'.  and  in  a  lew  minutes  more  thi.;  ine(|ualities  of 
the  "Great  Ice"  hid  them  from  view. 


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chapt1':r  XI. 

(AKK     IIIK     "(iRK.Vr    ice"    TO     11  IK     XoRrilKRX     KM)    OK 

ORKKN  I.A.N  1). 

.\  \Vi<i;(Ki.i)'Si,i;i)(;i;— 0(  T  oi-  III  Miioi.hi   Iiasin— On  thk  Iik-I'i.ii-i's  Ovik- 

I.noKINc;   I'KTKRM.VNN    Kji  ird— I  )kki.  SNoW  —  MY  DuCH — (ilAM    CRK.VASSI'.S — 
OVKR     IHK    DiVIDK    INTO     .'^IIIIK  \1>  D-OsllORNK     BASIN — (/|IMI11N(;     Din     <il-     A 

Trap — Loss  ok  Xai.kcaksoaii— IIkavy 'Ioinc— Tiik  Kvii   I'.vk— Ovi:r  thk 

Con  ITNKNl  AI.  DlVIDK — I.ANIi— XoK  111  KRN  IC  I  M  ;K  oK  1  ll  K  "  (IrKAI    Ick" — TMK 

Fjord  Barrikr— Soc  ih-Iv\st — Down   id  thk  Rkh-Hrown  Si'mmkis — Rk- 

CONNAISSANCK  OK  THK  I.ANH — lilRDS,  ImoWKKS,  AN1>  TrACKSoK  MlSK-OXKN. 


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CHAPTI':R    XI. 

(ikKAi    ici;"    in    rm:  xoriiikrx    kxi)   of 
(ikr.r.xi.AM). 


AS  I  had  already  found 
that  it  was  inipos- 
"^  sihlc  to  drive  and 
i^uidc:  our  tloj^s  over  the 
unbroken  ice-l)hnk  with- 
out a  pilot  ahead,  the 
pi'ohh.'ni  of  how  tin; 
sledi^es  and  doj^s  could 
be  so  arran^etl  as  to  \)v. 
managed  1)\-  one  man,  had 
i^dven  nie  considt-rahle 
food  for  thou.L;"ht,  I  tinally 
decided  to  try  the  following;;-  tentative  method  :  three 
of  my  best  doj^s,  Nale^aksoah,  Pau,  and  Tahwana, 
who  had  become  attached  to  me  and  were  always 
eaij^er  to  keep  close  to  me,  were  harnessed  to  the  li^ht 
sledij^e  built  by  Astrlip,  carrying-  a  load  of  about 
two  hundred  pounds.  These  closes  were  to  follow 
me,  and  behind  them  would  come  Astriip  with  the 
other  ten  do^-s  attached  to  the  bij^-  doL^-sledij'e,  with 
the  second  doi^'-sled^e  in  tow,  the  total  load  on  both 
amounting-  to  about  one  thousand  poimds.  This 
method  worked  fairly  well  durinjj^  our  first  march, 
which  was  but  a  short  one,   made    simply  w^ith    the 

301 


,."^„a. 


.^V'.  *# 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sdences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


Ks 
^ 


302 


Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice 


ohjccl  of   •^ctliiiL;  the   separation  o\<'r  with,  antl  i!;ct- 


tiiv'  strai!jlU(.'iic(l  out  on  tlu-  lono;  loiirncw  'l"h(;  next 
(lay  I  found  it  nccissar)' to  make  a  chani^L',  and  trans- 
ferred all  the  doL^s  to  the  ])'\[^  sledi^^e.  puttinL,^  the 
little  one  ai^ain  in  tow  of  tlu;  other  two. 

\\v.  had  L^'one  hut  a  short  distance,  however,  when 
the  larger  do^-sledi^'c,  as  the  result  of  the  scxcre 
hlows  it  was  ^cttiuL;"  when  travelling"  o\-er  the  niarhle- 
lik(;  S(rs/r/f<^''/\  l)rok(."  do 
and  br(,"akini>  all  standards  on  that  side.      Ihe  wreck 


wn.  one   Side   heiidui'''  inwaril 


l:. 


:)  n 


!V, 


*- 


md.r  ■. 


WITH  THE  GUIDON. 


of  this  side  was  so  coniplet'j  that  for  a  little  while  I 
was  at  a  loss  what  to  do,  hut  hnall\-  the  idea  su^'L;ested 
itself  of  lashino"  the  remains  of  the  sledge  alont^side 
the  other,  makitiL;"  one  hroad,  four-foot-wide  sledge 
with  three  runnirs.  This  idea  was  quickly  carri(;d 
out,  the  sled^'es  lashed  to^'ether  and  reloaded,  the 
result  proving"  very  satisfactory-.  The  three  runners 
seemed  to  make  tlu;  sledge  much  more  steady,  pre- 
ventiuLiit  from  slattino-,  and  seemed  to  ver\-  materiallv 
ease  the  l)l()ws  in  passing'  over  the  sds/r/zi;/.  The 
delay  incident  to  the  accident,  however,  shortened  our 


! 


I* ' 


To  the  Northern  End  of  (ireenhmd 


303 


march,  and  this,  with  the  j^rathialK  cK-cn-asiiiL;  firm- 
ness of  tli(;  snow  surface,  left  us  with  only  ten  miles 
to  our  credit.  On  our  next  march,  the  snow  rapidly 
])ecame  softer  and  tieeper,  making  \ery  heav\-  tra\-el- 
lini;",  but  as  we  m('t  with  no  accident  we  were  ahh,' 
to  cover  fifteen  miles.  In  tliis  march  we  hi-^an  climh- 
Iul;-  a^ain,  haviuL;'  kept  a  nearl\-  constant  elevation 
of  ;soo  feet  across  the  I  luml)oldt-(  dacier  Uasin. 
The  next  day  the  snow  was  even  worse  than  before, 
the  sKnl^es  sinking'  in  it  nearly  to  the  cross-hars. 
and  this,  toiji'ether  with  an  up  L^raile.  made  the  haul- 
ing- so  hea\\',  that  after  a  few  hours  m\'  doL^s  refused 
absolutely  to  work  any  more,  anil  I  was  oblioc-d  to 
i^c)  into  camj).  As  the  weather  seemed  rather  threat- 
ening' here,  we  made  our  third  i^loo,  and  while  Astri'ip 
was  en^a^ed  in  this,  I  tried  to  stucK'  out  some  ])lan 
for  making-  our  load  dra^'  more  easily.  'I'he  result 
of  this  was  the  construction  ef  an  impromptu  sledge 
from  an  extra  pair  of  ski,  and  the  transfer  to  it  of 
al)Out  one  hundred  and  twent\"  pounds  from  the  bi;^' 
sletl^e.  At  this  camp,  we  commenced  our  regular 
siediie  ration  with  a  daily  allowance  of  butter  and 
Liebii^'  extract.      At  this  camp  also,  one  of  m\-  doj^s 


down  with  the  dou"  disi 


v.as  killed  and   led  to  th( 


otiiers,   clisnrovmir  conclusiveh'  the  old  sa\in''   '•  that 
doL!'  will  not  eat  dosj'."      I  had  now  tweKc  fme  dous. 


dmost 


cnerv  on 


e  of  whom  had  tasted   in  savaijc  con- 


flict  the   hot   red   ])l()od   of   their    natural   e 


nenu' 


tl 


le 


polar  bear,  the   "  ti^'er  of    the    Xorth."      TlKM'e   W(;re 

Lion,   Castor  and    I'ol- 


n  L'', 


au. 


Xalei^aksoah    the   ki 

lux,  M(;rktoshar  ist  and  2i\.  Miss   Tahwana,  the    Pan- 

ikpas,   brother   and   sister.      The    following-   da\-,    the 


Dth 


contmuance  of  the  uj)  ^raile  and  the  mcreasuiL;'  ue] 
of  tile  snow  compelled  us  to  resort  to  double-bankini^, 
and  the  end  of  the  da}-  found  us  but  three  miles 
ahead  of  our  last  camj). 


3^4       Xurtlnvard  over  the  "(ircat  Ice"' 


% 


Ourselves  tiretl  and  our  tloos  out  of  sorts,  Astriip 
and  myself  rite  our  dinner  in  silence,  and  were  L;lad 
to  los(;  ourseK'cs  in  sleep.  Ihv,  niorniuL,^  found  us 
refreshc^l  and  with  a  new  stock  of  courage,  hut  still 
I  felt  that  if  hy  hard  work  and  no  end  of  trouble  I 
could  L^ain  ten  miles  I  should  he  satisfied.  To  my 
agreeable  surprise,  the  next  camp  found  us  fifteen 
mil(,'s   farther   on    our   way,  and  this  too  without    a 


% 


I'l,  7> 


^tl 


,', 


ASTRUP  AND  MY  DOGS. 


mishap  or  hitch  throu<rhout  the  march.  We  were 
now  evidently  at  the  top  of  the  jj^rade,  and  could  soon 
expect  a  slii;ht  descent  on  the  northern  sitle  of  the 
divide  toward  the  basin  of  the  Petermann  I^jord. 
The  next  day  proved  the  trutli  of  these  conclusions. 
The  snow  surface  became  harder  and  harder,  the 
aneroid  and  the  sledges  both  indicated  a  gradual 
descent,  and  after  six  hours'  marching  we  came  upon 


.( /' 


I- 


To  the  Northern  luid  of  Circcnland     305 

a  tinn,  inarhlc-likc  surfaci-.  showiiiL;-  cxiclciicc  of  most 
violent  wiiul  forcL-s.  and  scored  and  car\('d  until  it 
looked  like  a  i^reat  hed  of  white  la\a.  Two  hours 
later,  hunl  was  sii^hted  to  the  north-west,  and  yet  two 
hours  later  1  called  a  halt,  with  a  record  of  twenty 
miles  for  the  day. 

On    the    last    da\'    of    Ma\-,    we    had    advanced    hut 
fiv'j  miles,  when,  as  we  rose  on  to  the  crest  of  a  Ioiil,^ 


"LIKE  A  GREAT  BED  OF  WHITE  LAVA." 

Sds/r/i:^'-/  (if  till-  "  I  ifLUl  Ice." 

hummock.  th(?  head  of  I'etermann  l'"jord.  with  its 
i^uardin^  mountains,  and  the  i^reat  hasin  ol  the  gla- 
cier dischar:_;"inL;'  into  it,  Hashed  into  si^ht  Ix'low  us. 
1  lere  we  were  on  the  ice-l)lutfs  forming;'  the  limit  of  the 
oreat  ^lacier  basin,  just  as  we  had  been  at  llumholdt, 
but.  a  trilh;  less  fortunate  here  than  at  Humboldt,  I 
ft)und  it  necessary  to  dellect  some  ten  miles  to  the  east- 
ward, to  avoid  the  ine(|ualities  of  the  i^iacier  basin,  and 
the  i^reat  crevasses  which  cut  the  ice-blutts  encircliniL;"  it. 


'. 


I 


Itfl 


\h 


306       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

'I'h()iiL,f^h  it  liad  Ix-cii  my  i^ood  fortune  to  look  down 
from  the  hcijL^ht  of  the  Inlantl  Ice  into  four  of  the  i^rcat- 
est  j^dacicrs  in  the  world,  Jacol)sha\n,rossukatek.(  ireat 
Kariak,  and  Humboldt,  it  was  with  strani^e  feelini^s  of 
imcertainty  that  I  looke-d  ujjon  this  \iew.  I  could 
hardl)-  divest  m\self  of  tlu;  fc-eliiiL;- that  the  ra^L^cd.  shin- 
iuL,^  ice-field  before  me,  the  i^listenin;^-  ice-caps  stretch- 
ing u|)  into  Washington  Land,  and  the  dark  mountains 
L^uardiiii^-  the  distant  shores,  mi^ht  vanish  and  leave 
me  with  only  tlu;  luihroken  ice-horizon  of  previous 
clays.  \hv.  weather  heinsj;'  so  clear  and  our  location 
so  favourable  for  observation,  1  made  no  attempt  to 
advance  farther,  but  camped  at  once  and  be^an 
obstM'vations  for  determining  [)ositions  and  the  bear- 
ings of  the  land.  In  this  camp,  4200  feet  above  the 
sea,  we  remained  thirty-six  hours,  wit!i  a  continuance  of 
th(;  most  jxM'fect  weather, — warm,  clear,  and,  wliat  was 
most  unusual,  c.dm.  b'or  two  or  three  hours  at  midda\' 
ni)-  thermometer  in  th<*  sun  registered  jy"  1\,  iuul  ad- 
vantaijj'e  was  taken  of  this  to  thoroui^dily  dr\'  and  air 
all  our  clothin;^,  and  bv  nnself  to  enjov  tlic  luxurv  of  a 
snow  bath.  Lt^avin^"  Camp  I'etermann,  I  kej)t  awa\' 
due  east,  parallel  with  a  seric^s  of  s^i^antic  cre\asses, 
most  of  which  were  covered  with  snow,  thou'^h  in 
places  the  drifts  had  fallen  in,  exposing'  the  blue-black 
tlepths  of  the  chasms.  I  tricnl  repeatedly  to  L;et  an 
idea,  from  the  walls  of  tlu'se  clefts  in  the  ice,  of  the 
srradual  chauLre  from  the  surface  snow  to  neve,  and 
thence  to  true  homoi^enc^ous  ice,  but  m\'  ellorts  were 
thwarted  by  the;  incrustations  of  fme  snow  upon  the 
sides  of  the  crevasses.  On  the  leeward  side  of  one 
of  th(,'  largest  of  these  openinL,''s.  was  an  enormous 
mound  of  compacted  snow,  not  less  than  ei^ht}-  feet 
in  height,  the  formation  of  which  puzzled  me  for  a 
lono;  time,  though  I  finally  saw  a  reason  for  Ix'liev- 
ing-  that   it  was  caused   by  the  deposition  of  snow  in 


To  the  Northern  liiul  of  (irccnlaiul      307 


the  i:<.U\y  causixl  h\-  the  hrcak  in  tlu-  crcxassc.      The 

ten  miles'  detour  to  thi-  eastward  enaMed  nie  to  tlaiik 

all  the  crevasses,  and  a<;ain  1  took  ii|»  ni\- course  no;  di- 

east.  hopinu:  to   clear   the  hasin   of  Sherard-(  )sl)orne 

I'jord   as   fortun- 

atel\'    as     1     had 

weathered    those 

of     i  I  u  ni  l)o  1  d  t 

and     Peterniann. 

1''  r  o  111      C  a  111  \) 

Pet(;rmann    the 

surface  was  coni- 

parativel)-     le\-el, 

and  we  kejjt  the 

hi^rhest    summits 


of  the  l\,'termann 
M  o  u  n  t  a  i  n  s  in 
si(j:ht  for  fort\- 
miles,  then  the 
aneroid  he^an  to 
show  a  gradual 
rise,  the  snow  he- 
came  softer  and 
deeper,  and  I 
knew  that  we 
were;  hes^innino' 
the  ascent  of  the 
divide  between 
the  Petermann 
and  Sherard-(  )s- 
borne  Basins. 


CREVASSE  OF  THE  "GREAT  ICE." 


Still  we  W(.'re  able  to  make  fairly  i^ood  proL,'"ress, 
and  three  and  a  half  marches  brouL;ht  us.  June 
5th,  to  the  summit  of  the  di\ide.  5700  feet  aboxc  sea- 
level.  From  this  divide  summit,  as  in  e\-ery  pre- 
vious  instance,   we  found   the    travelling'  ver\'  l;(>o(1, 


n 


Mi] 

f 

I 


'. 


% 


3o^       Northw'iird  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

and  wilh  the  wind  Ixhiiul  us  were  al)l('  to  make  ninc- 
tctMi  and  onohalf  and  iwciUy-onc  niili-s,  rcspcxlivcl)', 
in  two  succ(.'ssi\c  marches,  camping  in  view  of  Shc- 
rard-()sI)orne  I''jord.  as  I  at  first  suj)i)os('d.  on  tlic 
Sth  of  June.  I  had  not  expected  to  siL;ht  land  aiL^^ain 
so  soon,  and  if  the  maps  were  correct,  it  should  have 
tak(Mi  about  two  marches  more  to  ha\('  hroui^ht 
me  within  si^ht  of  this  inlet,  but  I  assumeil  that 
naturally  the  delineation  of  the  inner  portion  of  th<; 


ICE  MOUND,   PETERMANN  BASIN. 


threat  fjord  mi^ht  be  considerabls  out  in  latitude, 
and  that  what  I  saw  before  me  must  be  Slierard  Os- 
borne. I'uture  de\-elopnients  showed  mv.  that  I  was 
wrono',  and  that  St.  Cieor^e's  I'jord  penetrates  far- 
ther inland  than  had  been  supposed,  and  that  this 
was  what  I  saw  before  me.  The  latter  part  of  the 
march  of  June  Sth  had  been  throuL,di  threatenini^ 
weather,  the  sky  overcast,  the  distant  land  dark  and 
indistinct,  and  that  jjeculiar  lii^ht  ox'T  the  Inland   Ice 


IS 


i 


■aimw-i*—    -i.jw^ 


■-••'  "'^■'1'  '    '<  ■ 


^ 


To  the  Northern  lind  of  (irccnland     300 

which  makes  it  impossihU- to  cHstiiii^aiish  its  rcHcf.  I 
knew,  liowt-vcr,  not  onl\-  from  my  aneroids.  l)iit  from 
tliL'  way  the  sUxlij^cs  travelled,  that  we  were  descend- 
im^Mjuite  rapidly,  and  this,  with  the  occurrence  of  se\-- 
cral  patches  oi  bare  \)\vnt  ice.  caused  me  to  hesitate, 
and  finally  call  a  halt  on  the  c(jm[)lction  of  the  twt:nty- 


iS<?'' 


./' 


^#-v:fV 


,Jil^- 


4 

■•* 

0^ 

4 

iL 

.1 

H. 

•'JWv 

• 

1 

1,  ,  ^^■ 

%-^ 

0 

A  TYPICAL  CAMP. 


«S 


first  mile.  thouL,di  we  could  easil\-  have  accomplished 
four  or  U\v.  mih-s  more. 

The  e'xperiences  of  the  next  two  weeks  showed 
the  wisdom  oi  my  cautiousnc'ss.  and  that  it  would 
have  been  much  better  if  I  had  had  a  premonition 
of  trouble  still  earlier  in  the  day.  We  had  hardl\- 
made  camp  and  finished  our  dinner,  when  tlu,-  ^ather- 
inij;"  storm  broke  upon  us.  and  once  more  we  had  to 
put    up    with    beinij^   inijjrisoned — Astriip   under    the 


•i 


3IO        Northward  oxer  the  "(ircat  Ice" 


li 


i'.n 


!  * 


sl('(l!^(.'  tar|)aiilin.  nusclf  in  tht;  litlK-  excavation  half 
coviTcd  with  a  sail  which  wv.  called  our  kitchen— 
for  two  da\s,  with  the  wind  howlini^  j)ast  us  down 
the  sloj)e  towards  the  distant  land,  and  the  jjlindinj^^ 
drifts  of  snow  hissiuL^"  and  whirlini^  ov(;r  our  little 
shelters.  When  the  storm  ceased  and  we  crawled 
out  of  the  drifts  in  which  we  had  been  buried.  I  saw, 
at  a  glance,  that  we  wen;  ri-du  on  the  southern  edLTc 
of  the  central  trough  of  tlu-  ^lacier  basin.  The  de- 
scent to  this,  consistinL,^  almost  entirel)- of  hard  blue 
ice.  swept  clean  1)\  the  furious  wind,  was  so  stee|)  that 
our  sledges  would  ha\'e  been  unmanaL^'eable,  and  the 
()l)|)Osite  side  rose,  as  far  as  the  jj^lass  could  rt:ach.  in 
ste(,'|),  crevasse-intersected  terraces,  unscalable  for  our 
heavily  loac'ed  sledges.  Across  the  i^dacier  basin  to 
thcr  north-east,  the  crevasses  and  patches  of  blue  ice 
continued  ;  east  anil  south,  stee|)  icy  slopes,  but  for- 
tunat<'ly  free  of  crevasses,  rose  above;  us.  It  was  evi- 
dent our  onl)'  exit  was  I)\-  clind)in!4-  those  slop'-s  to 
the  south-east,  beatini;'  to  windward,  as  it  were,  out  of 
the  reefs  and  off  the  lee  shore  on  which  we  found  our- 
selves. 

It  took  two  entire  days  of  the  hardest  and  most 
discoura^iuL''  work  of  tlu;  whole;  journey  to  extricate 
ours(;lv(;s  from  the  trap  into  which  we  had  fallen,  and 
at  the  end  of  the  two  da\s  we  had  lost  fifteen  miles 
of  our  hard-earned  northiuL^-.  St(;ei)  icy  slopes,  which 
hatl  to  be;  scaled  1)\'  zi^/aij'.ui'in.i,'^  against  a  strong- 
head-wind,  strained  the  sled!L;(;s  and  the  do^s,  iu;c(;ssi- 
tated  the;  utmost  care'  to  prevent  the  sledges  from 
be  in^-  swejit  into  the-  Li'hicier  be'low,  anel  bruiseel  and 
wre-nched  Astriij)  anel  myse;lf  with  ce)nstant  falls.  At 
last,  he^wever,  we;  rei^aineel  the  unbreiken  sne)w-clael 
he-i^ht  of  the  Inlanel  Ice,  and  never  elid  I  appreciate 
more  full\-  the'  olel  (ierman  se)n!4-.  "  Auf  elen  Hohen 
isl  breiheit."      Once  more  \vece)ulel  set  our  course  and 


"^■'"CL 


To  the  Northern  Hiul  of  (ireenlaiul      ;>ii 

kei;p  it.  In  tliis  clinil).  Nalci^aksoah,  ni\'  l)cst  cl()_L,^ 
and  kinL;()f  tlic  team.  rec(Mvr(l  a  s|)rain  whicli  rt'siilti'tl 
in  niv  losini^  him  four  ila\s  later.  Xnkisjjiksoali  was 
a  lon^-limheil  hriite,  (jiiick  as  a  tlash  ot  li,!.^du,  with 
jaws  like-  tlic  j^aij)  of  fate  .\  horn  tighter,  he  had 
sunk  his  i^deaminL,^  white  teeth  into  the  Hanks  and 
throat  of  more  than  one;  pohir  hear,  aiul  in  the-  tirst 
struL^i^le  for  su- 
premacy, w  h  e  n 
the  do_L;s  wliich  I 
had  j>urchased 
came  toL^c^tlier, 
had  unai(U:d  near- 
ly killed  hoth  of 
the  ()ne-e)-ed  hun- 
ter's fierce  hear 
thji^s.  Yet  he  was 
one  of  the  most 
affectionate  doj^s 
in  the  team,  and 
a  n  encoura^inL;' 
word  or  touch  of 
my  hand  was  suf- 
ficient to  hrini;- 
his  L^reat  paws 
thrusting'  against 
my  chest  antl  his 
fierce  yet  intelli- 
i^-ent  face  on  a 
level  with  ni)- 
own.  Poor  fel- 
low, I  mourned 
the  loss  of  a  friend 
when,  after  limp- 
iuLX  alouL,^  behind  the  sledi^es  for  two  or  three,-  days 
with  his  sprained  le^r,  he  la_L,^_L;-ed  behind  and  was  lost 


NALEGAKSOAH. 


I    ;  I 


)\   \ 


M  7 


1   I 


1^' 


312        Noilhwaid  oNur  tin-  "(iixat  Ice" 

in  one  of  the  ice-cap  storms.  I  Icrc  too  I  lost  my  spy- 
j^lass  in  a  crevasse,  and  narrowly  escaped  the  loss  of 
Lion  and  I'aii.  two  of  m\  hest  do^s.  also  in  a  cre\asse. 
l)olh  fell  till  their  traces  stopped  tlKin.  and  then  hnnL,'' 
suspendeil  until  hoisted  out.  (  )ucc  hack  on  the  upper 
level  of  the  Inland  Ice.  and  with  clear  weather  to  hel|) 
me,  I  could  make  out  the  oroL^raplu"  of  the  surface, 
anil  could  sei-  the  depression  ot  the  JL^Iacier  l)asin  still 
sweepin!^-  awa\'  to  the  eastward. 

H(;arinL;  away  to  the  eastward  until  I  could  round 
this  de|)ression.  we  once  more  started  north-east.  W'r 
were  soon  brought  up.  however,  hy  another  L^rou])  of 
enormous  crevassi-s,  tift\-  to  a  hundred  feet  in  width, 
extendiuL,^  across  our  course,  and,  as  luck  would  ha\e 
it,  almost  as  we  reached  these,  ;i  dense  fo^-  swept  up 
th"  elacier  hasin  from  ihe  coast,  shrouding"  the  cre- 
vasses and  ourselves  in  a  L;rey  opacity  which  constricted 
our  ran^c  of  \  ision  to  an  arm-stretch  and  made  it 
(lanei-rous  to  move.  W';'  could  onl\  wait  until  this 
cleared  awa\'.  which  was  not  until  eighteen  hours  later. 
Then  a  hall-hour's  reconnaissance  enahled  us  to  llaiik 
the  crevassv's  and  proceed  011  our  course  ai^ain.  1)\- 
this  time  Astri'ip  and  mysell  h;id  named  the  j^lacier 
hasin  which  had  ca.used  us  so  much  trouble,  the  bot- 
tomless pit,  and  had  j^rown  to  hate  tlv.-  si^ht  of  the 
land.  1  made  upm\-  mini  now,  in  order  to  axoid  fur- 
ther delay  and  annoxance  from  these  j^reat  eiacier 
basins,  to  strike  still  farther  into  the  interior,  so  as  to 
avoid  them  completelw  In  attempting- to  carr\' out 
this  j)lan,  howexcr,  I  found  the  snow  increasing"  so 
rapitlly  and  the  surface  of  the  Inland  Ice  risine^  at  such 
a  steep  e'raile  as  I  adxancetl  into  the  interior,  that  I 
finally  steered  a  more  northerly  course.  We  had 
hardly  made  four  miles  in  this  diri-ction,  when  once 
more  the  bi^'  sledge,  strained  and  weakened  b\-  the 
rouL^h  work  of  the  last  ei^ht  days,  broke  down  aij^ain, 


■.f^^itm^fm^f 


To  the  Xorthcni  lind  of  ( irccnlaiul      ^\^ 

ami  we  lost  an  ciuirc  (la\  in  rrpairin^  aiul  rclashinj^ 
it.  and  rt'-stowiii!^  its  load.  1  hf  next  day  we  were  aMc 
to  ad\  aiici- six  iiiiK-s,  and  then  wcr*-  ircalcd  to  a  source 
of  aiinoyanci'  and  d(la\-  which  we  had  not  loiiiUcd 
upon.  A  few  hours  of  snow-storm,  followed  l)\  dark 
ami  clomi\'  wcatlu-r  atul  a  rapid  rise  of  tcnipcralurc 
ncarl\-  to  the  frcc/ini^r.pniin.  rcsultcil  in  that  worst  ol 
all  possible  conditions  of  the  snow,  \i/.  :  a  certain  stick- 
iness which  mad*.,-  the  sledges  drai,^  as  if  loaded  with 
l(;ad.  The  doi^^s,  which  at  other  times  could  take 
both  sletli^res  aloiiL;'  at  a  l,^ooi1  pace,  were  now  unahle 
to  move  one,  and   recpiircd  the  assistance  of  Astriip 


A  BREAK-DOWN. 


and  myself,  the  one  pulliuLj^,  and  the  othcT  pushing"  at 
the  upstanders.  Under  these  circumstanct;s,  nothini;- 
could  be  done  except  wait  for  a  fall  of  temperature, 
and  this  did  not  occur  for  two  days.  Ihe  time,  how- 
ever, was  utilised  in  overiiaulin^- the  sled_L,a'S  ami  loads, 
and  throwing;  away  articles  and  material  which  our 
experience  now  showetl  us  coukl  be  si)ared.  'Ihe  total 
weiiji'ht  thus  left  amounted  to  some  seventy-five  pounds. 
The  hrst  drop  in  temperature  was  eagerly  seized 
upon  to  advance  aL,^ain,  and  with  Astriij)  and  myself 
assisting-,  and  with  all  the  do^s  at  one  sledge,  we  suc- 
ceeded with  double-bankinLT  in  advanciuLT  six  and  one- 


\ 


314        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

c[iiartcr  miles.  I  lu;  foUowin^^^  day  the  i^oinij^  was  much 
better,  but  hardly  had  we  j^^ot  well  straii^htened  out,  be- 
fore the  land,  this  time  in  reality  the  shores  of  Sherard 
Osborne,  ros(;  into  \i(nv  ahead  of  us,  and  once  more 
I  fountl  myself  comiielled  to  tlellect,  first  to  the  north- 
east and  then  to  the  east.  Xii^dit  found  us  with  six- 
teen and  one-half  miles  to   our  credit,  and  another 


HARD  TIMES. 


g'reat  oj-lacier  basin  }et  to  be  weathered.  An  idea  of 
the  next  day  can  perhaps  be  obtained  from  an  extract 
from  m\-  journal.  "  Another  discoura_n"ino- day  within 
sijj^'ht  of  the  baleful  shores  of  this  arctic  Sahara,  but 
we  are  on  the  heii(hts  once  more,  for  o'ood,  I  hope, 
and,  I  also  trust,  free  from  further  obstacles.  If  there 
is  any  truth  in  the  superstition  of  the  evil  eye,  the 
coast  of  this  Inland  Ice  surely  has  evil  eyes.     Just  as 


^mmmmimmmm: 


To  the  Northern  End  of  Grccnhmd 


o'D 


lori!^  as  the  black  cHffs  peer  up  at  us  over  the  round 
of  the  ice-cap,  just  so  loni;  are  we  beset  with  crevasses, 
slippery  ice,  hummocks,  howlin_L(  wind-storms,  furious 
drifts,  and  foirs.  The  cloo;s  s(.'em  possessed  with 
devils,  the  sledge  and  odometer  break,  some  item  or 
other  of  our  equipment  is  sure  to  be  lost,  and  every- 
thiui^-  seems  to  i^^o  wron_ij^.  Once  out  of  its  si^ht,  we  rind 
summer  weather,  'ii^ht  winds,  little  drift— in  a  word, 
peace  and  comfort.  The  intolerabh.'  drift  last  nioht 
gave  us  no  chance  to  sleep  comfortably,  beating-  under 


^#.    Jk^ 


IN  THE   DEEP-SNOW  REGION. 


and  through  every  minute  aperture  of  the  tarpaulin, 
and  melting  as  it  fell  on  our  faces  and  clothing.  'Idiis 
morning  one  of  my  best  dogs.  Castor,  was  dead  lame 
in  one  leg,  and  unable  to  pull,  and  the  traces  were 
fearfully  tangled  and  frozen  into  the  drift  at  the 
hitching-post." 

We  had  advanced  but  eight  miles,  when  we  found 
ourselves  hemmed  in  by  a  series  of  huge  concentric 
crevasses.  The  remainder  of  the  day  was  spent  in 
reconnoitring  for  safe  snowbridges,  by  which  they 
could   be    crossed.      This    could  "be   done   only  in    a 


'i 


■/'■\ 


16        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice 

soutli-castcrly  direction,   and  ni|u;ht  found   us   farther 


south  than  we  were  in  the  morninij;'.     Once  \vc  luid  two 
of  our  doL^s  down  in  a  crevasse,  and  once  the  sledju^e, 
with  all  our  biscuits  and  one  hundred  pounds  of  peni- 
mican,  broke  through,  and  b'  t  for  a  projectin^r  led^e 
of  ice:  on  the  edi^'e  of  the  crevasse,  which  temi)orarily 
su])ported   it   till  Astriip  anil  nnself  coukl   ])ull  it  out 
of  dauL^er,  we  should  have  lost  all.      At  nij^ht,  a  feel- 
hv^  of  relief  at  beinij;'  a^^ain  out  of  the  woods,  as   it 
were,   sent  mi;  to  even  soundtM"  sleep  than  usual,  if 
such   a   thinL(   were    possible,    and   five    and   one-half 
hours  of  refreshing;  slumber  put  sleep-huui^ry   brain 
and  body  in  better  trim,  and  i^ave  everythiuL,^  a  very 
different    aspect.       DurinLj;    this    march,  we    co\"ercd 
eighteen     and     one-half    miles    ovvv  a    snow   surface 
which,   as    we   marched   alou''",   everv   now   and   then 
would  settle  slis^htl)'  beneath  our  weight,  with  a  sound 
remindiuL,^  me  of  the  swash  of  the  L^round-swell  break- 
ing-   in     calm    summer    da\s  on    the   beach    at    Sea- 
brii^ht  or   Loni;'  Branch,  or  on  lon^;  white  Caribbean 
beaches,    backed   by  palms   wavering-   under  a   verti- 
cal sun.       The  next  tla\',  althouL,di  we  covered  nearly 
ei_L,dUeen    miles,  both  Astriip  and  myself  had  a  mild 
attack  v.:  the   blues,  partly  because  we  were  tired  out 
with  helping-  the  tloL;s  all  tlay,  but  principally,  i  think, 
because   our    utmost   exertions  were  unsuccessful    in 
reachinijf  the  limit  of  twenty   miles.      The  next  day, 
however,  we  once  more  jj^ot   in  the  swim,  and  closed 
our  record,  that  nis^ht,  with   twenty  miles  and  a  half, 
land  beiuL]^  visible  to  the  north-west,  north,  and  north- 
east all  day.       The  moral  effect  of  our  better  i^oint; 
and   better  speed  was  very  percei)til)le  both  on  our- 
selves and  our   doj^s  ;   at   times   the  latter  would,  of 
themselvt^s,    break    into    a    trot  ;    and    we    had    been 
marchiuL^  l)ut  a  short  time,  when  I  heard  Astriip  sinjj^- 
in<]^  merrily  as  he  kept  alonj^  beside  the  sledi;e.      Dur- 


I 


^i^ti'^mmim^Mm^'^"  ^:- 


• 


;i 


To  the  Northern  lind  of  Grecnhmd      317 

iiii^  this  march,  the  sun  seemed  iiiuisi  illy  warm,  and 
tcAvards  morninj^  even  sultry,  compelling-  us  to  throw 
off  all  outer  i^^arments. 

The  followinn-  da\'  was  hut  a  repetition  of  tlu;  last, 
and  we  skip[)ed  merrily  alon^,^  on  our  wa\"  at  a  con- 
stant elevation  of  about  six  thousand  feet,  the  land 
mountains  visible  to  the  north-west  nearl\-  all  the  time, 
antl  towards  the  end  ot  the  march  a  fjord  with  hi^h 
sharp  i)eaks  on  its  northern  side  comiiiL;'  out  clearly 
in  the  north-west.  At  the  close  of  this  march,  we 
turned  in  in  the  best  of  s))irits.  We  had  aj^^'ain  made 
over  twenty   miles,   and   there    was    every   intlication 


SWfeT"    '^^ 


.•»»wi  rpmyfjf 


f 


BETTER  GOING. 


that  we  now  had  surmounted  all  obstacles  and  would 
have  plain  sailiuL;  for  the  rest  of  our  journey.  I^oth 
ourseb'es  and  our  doos  were  in  the  best  of  comlition, 
and  our  supplies  were  ample  for  a  L,rood  lon^"  advance 
\et.  The  Lem[)erature  had  become  so  hii;'!"!  that  at 
this  camp  I  seized  the  opportunity  to  take  another 
refreshiuL;-  snow  bath  and  discard  m\'  doj^skip  and 
tleerskin  suit  for  my  rest;rve  s..it  of  sealskin. 

(>n  the  26th  of  June  we  were  descending-  slii^htly. 
In  the  mornino",  as  we  started,  heavy  white  clouds 
covered  the  entire;  sky,  excejjt  a  narrow  ribbon  of  blue 
south  and  soutli-west.     ( )ur  course  was  north-east  true, 


</ 


1 


h. 


!.      I 


iH 


i 


318       Northward  over  the  "  (ireat  Ice" 

but,  land  appcarinir  to  the  north-west,  north,  and  north- 
east soon  after  startin^j^,  I  chanjj^ed  the  course  to  east 
true.      The  entrance  to  a  fjord  with  precipitous  black 

shores  lay  north  north-west 
1  true  from  us.  As  we  advanced 
I  to  the  east,  the  clouds  increased 
in  density  and  a  liuht  driviuLj 
snow  came  up  from  the  south- 
west, shroudiuL^  the  ice  with 
that  shadowless  lij^dit  which 
makes  even  the  snow  beneath 
one's  feet  invisible.  I  kept 
on,  however,  still  keepini^ 
my  course  by  the  wind,  until 
the  very  piM"ce|)tible  descent 
warned  me  from  past  experi- 
ences to  iKvlt  and  wait  for 
clearer  weather.  This  I  did 
after  a  march  of  ten  miles. 
When  the  snow  ceased  several 
hours  later,  the  land  loomed  up 
close  ahead  of  us,  with  the  de- 
pression of  the  fjord  beyond, 
and  had  I  continued  blintUy 
throu^rh  the  fo<'-  1  should  have 
brouo^ht  up  rioht  in  the  head 
of  another  ^rreat  Macier.  Our 
next  march  to  the  south-east 
was  a  short  one,  only  ten  miles, 
and  nearly  parallel  with  the 
land.  Dark-brown  and  red  cliffs  looked  down  into  a 
<i^rand  vertical-walled  caiion  reach ino^  up  towards  our 
camp  and  everywhere  north-west,  north,  and  east,  black 
and  dark-red  precipices, deep  valleys,  mountains  capped 
with  cloud-shadowed  domes  of  ice,  stretched  away 
in  a  wild  jxinorama,  upon  which  no  human  eyes  had 


SETTING  THE  COURSE. 


^m^mmmtpmi 


To  the  Northern  Hnd  of  Greenland     319 

ever  looked  before.  The  u;lorious  summer  calm  and 
warmth  of  the  last  three  days  were  now  accounted  for 
by  the  presence  of  so  much  surroundiuL,^  land. 

Assuming-  the  fjord  ahead  of  me  to  be  Mctoria 
Inlet,  and  thinkinL^  that  I  could  round  it,  as  I  had 
already  rounded  Petermann.  St.  Georo-e's,  and  Shc- 
rard-Osborne  P'jords.  I  kept  away  to  tlu;  south-east. 
j)arallel  with  the  edg-e  of  the  Inland  Ice  and  the  shore. 


THE  NORTHERN  LAND. 

Nunataks  of  tlic  Academy  Cilacier  to  the  Kiglit. 

But  always  as  I  advanced,  the  mountains  of  the  shore 
s^rew  into  view  before  me,  keepin*;  me  constantly  to 
the  south-east,  till  the  ist  of  Juh'.  On  that  day  a 
wide  openino^,  boundetl  on  either  side  by  hii^h  vertical 
cliffs,  showed  up  in  the  north-east  over  the  summits 
immediately  adjacent  to  the  Inland  Ice. 

ThrouLj^h  this  opening-  could  be  seen  neither  the  re- 
flected ice-l)link  of  distant  ice-cap,  nor  the  cloud-loom 
of  land.      I  had  no  further  time  to  waste  in  travelling 


!  (■ 


Northward  over  the  ••Great  Ice" 


I    v 


'f 


to  the  south-Ccist,  in  wliich  direction  tlic  coast  land- 
ril^lion  still  strL-tchcd  awav  as  far  as  the  c\c  could 
reach.  I  must  reach  this  openiiiL;-  at  once  and  dis- 
cover if  it  looked  out  into  the  Mast-(ireenlantl  Arctic 
Ocean,  or  whether  there  was  distant  ice-covered  land 
to  the  north-east,  which  niij^dit  still  he  reached  hy 
roundinir  the  head  of  the  fjord  far  to  the  south-east. 
Chan^inir  my  course  to  north-east  true,  ni)'  elevation 
at  the  time  heinjj^  some  five  thousand  feet  al)ov(;  sea- 
level,  ski  and  sled^c^s  antl  do^s  spetl  merrih'  down 
the  constantly  increasint^  gradient  of  the  ice-cap, 
straiijht  for  the  red-hrown  mountains  of  the  strange 
land.  After  several  hours,  the  <;radi(Mit  l^tcw  so  steep 
that  it  became  necessarv  to  descend  diai/onallv  alonsjf 
the  slope.  The  land,  though  yet  some  miles  away, 
seemed  as  if  at  our  very  feet,  and  as  if  we  mi^^ht  easily 
throw  a  stone  upon  it. 

We  could  plainly  see  the  L!^reen  rivers  and  lakes 
alontr  the  margin  of  the  ice,  and  the  murmur  of  roar- 
inur  cataracts  came  softlv  to  our  ears. 

I  selected  the  hii^hest  convex  of  a  crescent  moraine, 
which  climbed  well  up  into  the  ice-cap,  as  my  landini^ 
point,  and  after  wadin_L,^  innumerable  streams,  and 
flounderin*!  through  a  mile  of  slush,  which  covered 
the  lower  portion  of  the  landward  slope  of  the  ice,  w^e 
clambered  u[)on  the  confused  rocks  of  the  moraine, 
4000  feet  above  the  sea,  and  dra_Li^^ed  the  sledi^e 
up  high  and  dry.  Stoppimj;-  only  loni;;-  enous^h  to 
open  a  tin  of  pemmican  and  change  my  ski  for 
snow-shoes,  I  left  Astriip  to  look  after  the  doa^s 
and  turn  in,  and  hastened  down  to  the  land  for  the 
purpose  of  climl)ino"  a  summit  some  hve  miles  from 
the  ed^e  of  the  ice,  which  apparently  commanded  a 
full  view  of  the  ijfreat  break  in  the  coast  ribbon,  A 
mile  or  more  of  slush,  a  two-hundred-foot  slide  down 
the  nearly  forty-five-dei^ree  slope  of  the  extreme  edge 


\ii 


'■'■-h^-f'^'^'"'''»Mtixri1k'i'''^fnr-'--'--*'r'* "  f*^;:  ^.  -  2 . 


To  the  Northern  ILnd  of  (irccnhuul      321 

of  the  ice,  and  my  fret  were  on  tlic  sliarj).  chaos-strt'wn 
stones  which  coxcr  the  iceward  borders  of  this  hmd 
of  rock. 

The  tierce  July  sun.  though  l)Ul  a  httle  past  the 
northern  nieri(Han,  heat  down  uj)on  nie  witli  o|)|)res- 
siv(!  warmth.  Hefore  nic.  the  warm  retl-hrown  land- 
scape waver  ul  and  tremhlinl  in  thi;  \-ellow  li.i^ht  ;  hehiiul 
me,  towered  the  blinding-  white  slopt;  of  the  ice  l)e- 
neath  my  feet,  the  stones  were  bare  even  of  lichens. 


J ^^__ 

* "     - :  ''  •'•'5:?  ~' 

B"' 

m-^^Q 

w-\*- 

PR4*"""  -"^^^^ 

-J                "-  "^1*"" 

\ 

THE  NORTHERN  MORAINE. 


and  had  a  dry,  i^rey  look,  as  if  the\'  were  the  bones  of 
a  deatl  world. 

And  yet  I  felt  that  with  so  much  of  warmth  and 
richness  of  colourinj^  there  must  be  lifi-.  and  sure 
enou!>h,  hardlv  had  I  irone  a  huntlred  vards  from  the 
edjL^^e  of  the  ice  when  a  beautiful  little  black-and-white; 
sonjL^ster  tUittered  uj)  from  behind  a  rock,  hovert.'d 
sini^inLi^  almost  within  reach  al)ove  m)-  head,  and  then 
settled  ujjon  a  bleak  stone  but  a  few  feet  distant  to 
hnish  his  merry  sonL,f. 

As  I  went  on,  numbers  of  these  snow-buntini^^s 
flitted  about  me,  and  hardly  had  I  gone  a  mile  before 


Ml 


I; 


1      ji 


ib 


I  I' 

r  V' 

It    ' 


322       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

my  heart  hc-at  ([iiickcr  at  the  sin^^ht  of  traces  of  musk- 
oxen.  As  I  sji^ot  farther  awa)'  from  the  ice  antl  in  the 
lee  of  tile  L^i^antic  moraiiK's  and  tumuli  of  |L,dacial  de- 
bris, flowers  l)eL;an  to  appear,  purple  and  white  and 
yellow.  amouL^  them  my  eve-r-present  brilliant  yellow 
friend,  the  arctic  pop|)\-. 

Still  travttllinj^-  alonij^  towards  my  mountain,  with 
eyes  constantly  alert  for  musk-oxen.  1  rec(;i\ed  a  shock 
like  that  of  Crusoe  when  he  spied  the  foe  tprints  on 


MUSK-OX  RENDEZVOUS. 


the;  beach.  In  a  little  level  space,  sheltered  on  all 
sides,  was  a  lar^e  an^i^ular  boultler  of  trap,  with  one  ver- 
tical face,  and  before  this  face  were  a  number  of  ir- 
rej^'ularly  arranj^ed  stones  in  a  rank  i^rowth  of  \  ivid 
irreen  irrass.  Throuirhout  all  the  inhabited  shores  of 
Greenlantl,  a  patch  of  luxuriant  L^rass  is  always  the 
sign  of  a  sometime  igloo,  and  it  was  with  peculiar 
feelings  that  I  hastened  to  the  spot. 

A  closer  examination  showed  the  place  to  be  a  musk- 


1.1 


.^m»*wmitmi  tmatUi 


•tea 


To  the  Northern  llnd  of  Grccnhuul 


1  o  -> 

0-J 


ox  rcndc/vous.  Hits  of  their  hair  and  wool  were  stick- 
inj4'  to  the  rock  and  scattered  on  the  L^round,  a  weather- 
worn skull  lay  a  few  yartls  away,  and  the  unusual 
Ljrowth  of  i^^rass  was  due  to  the  presence  of  the  musk- 
oxen. 

I'rom  this  point  on,  the  musk-ox  trails  were  as  thick 
as  sheep  paths  in  a  New  I'ln^land  pastun.'  ;  and  know- 
nv^  the  sai^Mcit)'  of  these  animals  in  tlu;  selection  of 
a  favo'  ral)k"  route,  I  was  j^lad  to  make  use  of  their 
paths.  Hut  my  mountain  seemed  to  recetle  as  I  ad- 
v^anced,  and  it  was  ei^ht  hours  before-  I  reachetl  its 
summit,  only  to  tintl  that  two  or  three  other  summits 
intervened  between  me  antl  the  full  \iew  out,  through 
the  fault  in  the  coast  line. 

The  five  miles  of  apparent  distance  hatl  leULithened 
out  to  at  k;ast  twelvi;  miles  of  actual  distance,  and 
most  men,  less  accustomc;tl  to  estimating"  distance  than 
I  had  been,  would  have  called  it  considerably  more. 

I  was  stron^K'  tf-mpted  to  ^o  on  still  farther,  but 
the  condition  of  my  foot-jj^ear  preclutled  it.  The  soles 
of  both  kamiks  were  already  cut  through,  and  one  or 
two  edo;es  of  sharp  rocks  had  ev(.:n  reached  and  cut 
my  feet.  It  was  even  (juestionable  wlu.-ther  I  could 
tix  up  my  foot-ijear  to  enable  me  to  j^et  back  without 
more  or  less  serious  injury  to  my  feet. 

With  the  assistance  of  a  pair  of  sealskin  mittens 
and  a  knit  skull-cap,  I  patched  up  my  foot-i^ear,  and 
after  an  hour's  rest,  started  on  my  return  to  the  camp 
on  the  moraine. 

Loni^  before  I  reached  the  ed<j;^e  of  the  ice,  I  was 
oblij^ed  to  add  to  the  protection  of  my  feet  such  por- 
tions of  my  <rarments  as  I  could  spare,  and  it  was  with 
the  feeliuiTs  of  one  who  is  suddenly  relieved  from  an 
excruciatincj^  toothache,  that  I  stepped  from  the  ra_L(L,^ed 
rocks  upon  the  Inland  Ice  and  strapped  on  my  snow- 
shoes. 


/ 


It 


f 


324        Northw.'ird  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

As  1  nrarcd.thc  inoraiiK,-,  I  saw  Asiriip  pcM-chcd  on 
its  siiniinii  looking-  anxiousl)-  for  inc.  for  1  had  hccn 
.^onc  lificcn  hours  instead  of  four  or  five,  as  intended 
wlien   I  started. 

I  found  my  dinner,  lunch,  breakfast,  wliatever  it 
mi.i^ln  i)e  called,  of  tea.  ix-nimican.  ami  hiscuit.  ready 
for  me,   and   when    1    had   satisfied    my    hunger   and 


MY  PADDED  KAMIKS. 


Stretched  myself  out  on  the  rocks  to  sleep,  it  seemed 
as  if  never  before  had  1  been  so  sore  and  tired.  I 
had  been  travelling-  and  climbiuL;-  for  twenty-three 
hours,  and  I  felt,  to  a  marked  deirree,  the  chanu'e  from 
the  dry,  cold  atmosphere  of  the  Inland  Ice  to  the 
moister  and  almost  torrid  atmosphere  of  the  land. 
More  than  this,  my  reconnaissance  had  failed  of  its 
object,  and  it  would  now  be  necessary  for  Astriip  and 


/I 


a. 


- ^,i^*i'f^|,kfr:jlm~s^-•^^^■  r.^^^tj-.   . 


To  the  Xorthcrn  Iinil  of  (;rccnlan(l      ;,25 

myself  to  take  tlic  doL^^s  and  thrc<'  or  four  (la\s'  sii|)- 
plics  and  inarch  overland  to  whatexcr  distance  nii-ht 
be  necessary  to  <rive  pie  the  unohstriicted.  defimte 
outlook  which  I  must  have. 

After  a  few  hours'  sleej).  we  made  u|)  our  packs,  and 
myself  in  the  lead.  Aslriii)  followin-"  with  the  do^s.  I 
started  once  more  to  wrest  its  secret  from  this  tanta- 
lising land. 


k 


CHAPTI-R   XII. 


N ( t  k  I  1 1 1 :  K  N  M ( )S  I     ( ,  K  K  !•: N  i,a  N  I ). 


\\K   Sir  our  I-..R    iMK   Kii.   Hill.,   am.  Vai.i.kys- Oir   lh,r.s   (Ji.ad  to 

kKA.  II  TiKKA  llKMA-VKkY   k..l(;il   TkA\  KI.I.IM;  oVI  K  Till     SlIARI'  STCMS 

-SM;iiTrN(;   Misk-Oxin  at    L\si-I    K,,...    Two  nv   ,iik  Animals    am, 

(  Alirui  ()M.;  AL1V|;-A  FkAST  ..K  MlsK-OX  StIAKS-Tim:  I.A.ST  S.MMIT 
HLTWIKN    IS    AM,    Tll|.;   SEA -A   (;U,RI(,1S  PANORAMA    AS   WK    I-MFk.;!-.    IIM.N 

A  (Want  (Liir-Av  Ick-Cvirki.  Hay  3S00  Kkkt  hki.ow  rs-KASTWARi, 
riiK  AKcnc  Ska  Kxi'am.s  to  tiii.  IIori/.,n_\Vk  hai,  Traci  i,  tiif  NN.ktm 
Coast  or  imk  M  aini  ani— Tii,.;  Hniis  am.  Cuannkls  Karthkr  North 

—A  XkYKR-TO-BK-FoRGOITI  \   FnlKTII  OK  Jl  I.V. 


^!< 


^. 


J>" 


J 
u 

> 
> 

Z 


ri 


?ft; . 


:?^ 


CHAPTKR  XII. 

.\( )Kin i: K \ M( »sr  ( . k k k \ i,a .\ i >. 

IT  was  a  l)rioht.  l)cau- 
tifiil  ilay  wluMi  we 
arose  on  tlu-  morniiio- 
of  July  ;v  iSg2.  Though 
on  the  [)rc-\'i()iis  (la\-  I  had 
not  cauoht  a  glimpse  of 
the  sea. and  the  niyster\-  of 
dark-red  hind  before'  us 
was  a  mystery  stiH,  I  felt 
that  the  next  tW(,'nt\--four. 
or  fortN-eii^ht  hours  at 
most,  would  mak(  all 
clear  to  us,  and  that  we  should  stand  on  the-  horelers 
of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  and,  from  some  vantaux'-oround 
on  the  north-east  coast  of  Cireenland,  look  northward 
over  the  broad  expanse  of  sea.  .Still  I  mi-ht  b(;  mis- 
taken, and   the  coast  miwht  be  much  farther  north 

too  far  away  for  us  to  attain  it  carrNini^-,  as  we  were 
comi)elled  to,  every  ounce  of  our  provisions  and 
equipment  on  our  backs. 

I  was  too  anxious  to  enjoy  the  ^lorx-  of  tlie  morn- 
incr  fully.  If,  as  I  had  for's(')me  davs  siisp<'cted,  this 
channel  actually  stretched  from  Li'ncoln  Se;i  to'  th(! 
Arctic  Ocean  on  the  north-east  coast  of  (ireenland. 
was   I  to  fail  now  to  fathom  its  secret  and  take   home 

329 


33^       Northward  over  the  "Circat  Ice" 

tlu*  news  that  the  northern  extension  of  ih(-  mainland 
had  at  last  L(,'en  found  ?  It  was  c(M"tain  that  we  had 
no  reserve  of  provisions  that  would  warrant  us  in 
makini;  any  consitlerahle  sojourn  in  the  region  to 
which  we  had  attained;  nor  if  a  half-ton  of  su])j)lies 
had  been  packed  on  our  sled^^e  could  we  carry  more 
than  a  V(Ty  few  days'  rations  on  our  backs  over  the 
boulder-strewn  waste  bc.'fore  us. 


DAWN  OVER  THE  ROCKS. 


The  sun  was  shiniuLi;  brilliantly  upon  the  dazzling- 
white  of  the  ire  cap  behind  us.  Its  genial  rays  were 
searching  vjut  and  lighting  up  the  hilltops  and  the 
deepest  valleys  of  the  land  towards  which  our  faces 
were  turned,  and  which  we  were  al)out  to  traverse. 
The  temperature  was  that  of  a  balmy  day  in  early 
April  in  lands  far  south  of  the  Arctic  circle.  I  knew 
it  would  i)e  very  warm  below.  Innumerable  patches 
of  snow  dotted  the  landscape  north  of  us,  but  they  did 


Northernmost  Greenland 


33 ' 


not  cover  a  hundrctlth  part  of  the  great  area  we  saw 
stretcliiiiir  away  hefore  us. 

Our  tlous  were  wild  with  dehi^ht  and  expressed  their 
einotions  most  vociferous!)-.  They  saw  the  hind 
before  them  and  were  eai^cr  to  reach  it.  I"  ,  y  were 
to  accompany  us  in  our  tramp,  for  of  course  we  could 
not  \vdvc  them  hehind.  So  we  i^ave  the-m  a  rather 
meai^re  breakfast  and  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning; 
we  started.  If  the  tlonrs  had  b^cn  L;iftetl  with  sufflcimt 
sense  I  think  they  would  keenly  have  appreciated  the 


EXHAUSTED  WITH  THE   HEAT. 


chanLi'ed  conditions  that  had  suddenly  occurred.  We 
were  now  the  beasts  of  burden  antl  they  were  com- 
paratively free.  Our  equipment  and  su|)plies  for  four 
da\s,  with  instrumcmts,  ritle,  camera,  and  a  ver\-  few 
extras  intended  to  _L;ive  sj)ecial  distinction  to  our 
h'ourth-of-Juh-  dinner,  mack.-  a  load  of  about  forty 
pounds  each  for  Astriij)  antl  myself. 

vStartinij;-  out  from  Moraine  Camp,  we  had  to  walk 
and  slip  about  four  hundred  feet  down  the  landward 
slope  of  the  ice,  which  str(;tched  away  for  upward  of 
a   mile  before   its    foot    rested   on   terra   hrma.      We 


i!  y 


T     1    ') 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


found  tlic  travellini,^  even  more  difficult  than  it  had 
hcH-n  the  day  before^  partly  hc.'cause  wc.  were  hea\y- 
laden,  and  also  because  the  sun  had  still  further  soft- 
enetl  the  snow.  Azure-hhu.-  streams  rushed  through 
the  semi-li([uid  slush,  as  we  made  our  wa)'  towards  the 
land,  till  we  came  to  th(;  crest  of  the  immediate  ed^'x; 
of  the  ice.  I)()wn  this  w(;  slipped  and  scrambled  as 
best  we  could,  trippiuL^  and  tan^iini,^  in  the  traces  of 
our  don^s,  which  wt-re  wild  to  reach  the  land.  I  was 
surprised  to  see  th(!  effect  of  this  constant  July  sun. 
Close  to  tlK;  land,  where;  a  f(;w  hours  previous  I  had 
travelled  without  difficulty  on  my  snow-shoes,  tluire 
was  now  a  rushinsj^  river  which  we  were  obli^c^d  to 
ford.  Some  glacial  lake,  far  uj)  the  ice,  dammed  in 
by  the  deep  snow,  had  burst  its  banks,  and,  rushing' 
down  to  the  canon  between  the  rocks  and  the  eds^e  of 
the  ice,  had  swej)t  ever)thino' clear,  down  to  the  h.ard, 
blue  crystal  ice.  The  rushing-  water,  mid-thiL,di  deep, 
thtt  slipj)ery  ice  in  th(;  bottom  of  the  stream,  and  the 
antics  of  our  do^rs,  which,  hesitating!;'  at  first  to  enter  the 
water,  would,  when  urcred,  make  a  rush  for  the  opj)()sit(i 
side,  made  the;  crossinL^  of  the  stream  precarious.  We 
succeeded,  however,  in  jj^-ettini^  over  without  a  thorough 
wettiuL^,  and  scrambled  u\)  on  the  rocks. 

My  i)ath  of  the  day  before  was  followed  alonjj;  the 
summits  and  through  the  little  valle\-s,  and  after  a 
march  of  five  hours  we  stopped  b(;sidf'  a  l)eautiful  shal- 
low stream,  starting'  from  a  oreat  snow-bank  far  up  the 
ravine,  and  empt)ino' below  us  into  a  mirror-like  lake, 
from  which  a  foaminj^  cataract  dashed  to  the  crevasses 
of  the  jjj^lacier  below.  After  lunrh,  r.s  we  advanc(;d, 
we  saw  sev(;ral  musk-ox  skeletons.  ()n  every  hill  and 
in  every  valley  we  were  hndinL^  traces  of  musk-oxen, 
but  as  yet  we  had  seen  no  livinsj^  specimens.  With 
the  utmost  ea^rerness  we  scanned  every  new  prospect 
for  the  coveted  animals  ;  for  we  knew  that  musk-oxen 


AL.  ati*]i«s»a.i  tiw** 


^m 


mm 


^ 


'  I 


r 


Northernmost  Greenland 


-1  •»  1 


mt*ant    fresh    meat    for    ourseh-cs,  and   an    abuiulanl 
supi^lyof  food  for  our  dojji's. 

\V(j  foUowctl  the  niiisk-o.\  trails  as  far  as  they  went 
in  the  direction  in  which  we  wishetl  to  j^o.  riien.  to 
reach  the  summit  where  I  had  been  the  day  Ix^fore.  1 
decided  to  try  a  different  route,  and  one  that  was  a])- 
parc-nth'  easier.  As  luck  would  have  it.  it  was  in- 
finitely worse,  and.  hurch^ned  with  our  j)acks  and  the 
do*^s,  it  seemed  as  if  we  never  should  reach  the  to[). 


SOURCE  OF  THE  ACADEMY  GLACIER. 

From  this  summit  we  kei)t  aloni:^  the  crest  of  the  ran^^e 
of  rock-strewn  mountains,  parallel  with  the  great 
sjflacier  east  of  us. 

A  rcL^ion  of  such  utter  barrenness  I  never  saw  he- 
fore.  The  arctic  poi)py  was  th(;  only  llower  that 
could  find  a  footin;^.  Uj)on  a  surface  of  small,  anij^u- 
lar  stones,  compressed  and  half  cement<'d  toL^ether  by 
the  enormous  pressure  of  superincuml)ent  ice-fields 
ages  ago,  were  strev/n  larger  loose  fragments,  singly, 


n. 

.1 


334        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

in  piles,  and  in  loni;'  moraines  ;  and  \'et,  even  here, 
traces  of  nuisk-oxen  \ver(;  abundant,  as  if  it  were  one 
(jf  their  favourite  haunts.  After  t(tn  hours'  marchin|^, 
rentlered  douhl)'  se\'ere  h\'  the  enervatini,^  etlect  of 
tlu;  hiL,di  t(Mii|)erature.  we  hahtnl  for  rest  l)etwec;n  a 
mound  of  l)oulders  and  a  snow-drift,  anel,  throwing;  up 
a  wind-^uard  of  stones,  turneii  in  to  sh-ep.  The  con- 
stant scramhhni,^  over  sharp  rocks  of  all  sizes  had  been 
extremely  trying-  to  Astriip  and  myself.      The  fatit^ue 


NUNATAKS  OF  THE  ACADEMY  GLACIER. 

of  climbini^  with  our  heavy  packs  and  hampered  by 
the  do^s  was  u^reatly  increased  1)\-  the  debilitatintj^  in- 
diience  of  what  seemed  to  us  an  almost  tropical  tem- 
perature, accustomed  as  we  hail  become  to  the  clear, 
cold,  searching-  atmosphere  of  the  Inland  Ice;  and  the 
terrible  travellinLi"  over  the  L;laci;d  tumuli  and  nior- 
aines  had  been  exceetlin^i)-  severe  upon  our  fo()t-!j;-ear 
and  our  muscles. 

We  had  now  advanced  far  enough  on  our  uay  down 


v«K%»->«  -.  ti£*»niFaf  -rf 


mim 


Northernmost  Greenland 


1  ■»  r 


the  valleys  ami  oxer  the  moiiiUains  tu  (Kscr\-  \cry 
distant  land  beyond  what  appeared  to  hi-  the  lu-ad- 
lands  of  a  fjord.  Rut  we  were  too  far  away  to  see  all 
this  clearly.  The  mystery  of  ihe  region  still  remained 
a  mystery  ;  and  we  were  to  sleep  a.L;ain  before  we  dis- 
covertxl  that  the  distant  laml  we  saw  was  islands  be- 
yond the;  mainland  of  (ireenland.  We  wen;  very 
footsore  as  we  threw  ourselves  on  the  ijround  behind 


WAVE-MARKED  SANDSTONE. 

l'"()un(l  3000  FcL't  aliDve  Sca-I.tVL-l. 

our  shelter  of  stonc^s  ;  but  we  were  not  too  tired  to 
sleep  the  sleej)  of  the;  just,  during-  tlie  fixe  hours  we; 
allotted  to  rest  be-fore-  we  shoulde'red  our  packs  and 
set  out  ai^ain,  loe^kin^"  as  e-a^'erly  tor  uuisk-oxeMi  as  for 
discoveries  of  oeo^raphical  inte.-rest. 

I  was  some'what  we)rried  about  my  do,L;s.  They 
had  felt  the  he-at  eve-n  more  than  Astri'ip  and  nnself ; 
and  one  of  them.  Pau,  m\'  leader  and  bra\cst  doo- 
since  the  loss  e)f   XaleL;aksoah,   was    e[uite    ill.      Pau 


3:/^ 


Northward  over  the  "  Circat  Ice" 


ir 


was  a  littU;  smaller  than  XaUiL^aksoah,  his  l)roth('r, 
aiul  like  him  a  horn  fi^htcM-.  in  all  his  combats,  thi! 
latter  stood  hy,  and  if  (as  rarcl)'  hapjx'nrd)  the  oilds 
were  against  Pan,  one  shake  of  Xale^aksoah's  massive 
jaws  would  turn  tlu,-  tahU.s  in  his  faxour.  Pau  was  an 
ex|)c;rt  at  slii)i)inL;'  his  harness,  ami  more  than  once  I 
have  seen  him,  when  he  thoui^ht  no  om;  was  watching', 
H'o  throuLih  the  operation  as  nu,'th(Klically  as  one 
would  tak(;  off  a  coat.  TIk  n  for  a  forai^e, — for  some- 
thin^'  to  c;at.  Nc.-ver  would  Pau  i^ct  many  xarils  away, 
however,  before;  Xales^aksoah's  jjowerful  deep  voice 
would  L(ive  notice  of  the  fact,  antl  with  two  or  three 
l)owerful  efforts  he  would  break  his  harness  or  trace 
and  be  at  the  side  of  his  comrade.  I  had  now  ei^hl 
do^s,  and  felt  sure  of  obtainini^'-  musk-oxen  lor 
them  whih;  we  were  down  in  the  valley.  \vt  1 
had  laid  m\'  j)lans,  in  the  e\-ent  of  not  L^-ettin*^-  musk- 
oxen,  to  sacrifice  one  of  the  doi^s  for  the  subsist- 
enct;  of  the  rest.  It  troubletl  me  seriously  to  think 
that  Pau,  if  he;  should  continue  to  be  sick,  would,  of 
necessity,  be  the  victim.  W  hen  w(;  resumed  our  i)acks 
and  started  on  ai^ain,  the  dot^s  were  evidently  much 
exhausted,  and  I  hatl  an  acklitional  source,"  of  worr)-  in 
the  fear  that  some  of  thc;m  wouUl  break  their  k^ij^s  in 
clamberinL]^  over  the  angular  blocks  ot  stone.  Every 
do!^'  was  to  us  more  precious  far  than  the  most  valued 
pieces  of  horse-tlesh  in  the  land  we  had  come  from. 

As  we  atlvanct;d,  summit  after  summit  rose  tanta- 
lisiuij^ly  Ix^fore  us,  still  masking-  from  our  \iew  the 
cov(,'ted  siuht  of  the  ^-reat  l)av  which  I  now  had  no 
doubt  lay  before  us,  hidden  perhaps  between  tower- 
in<^  cliffs  that  walled  it  round.  Still  with  every  step 
as  we  went  on  we  eai^erly  examined  all  the  slojjes 
and  ravines  for  musk-oxen.  Aj^ain  and  ai^ain,  some 
larijj'e  black  boulder  would  ii^ive  us  a  thrill  of  excite- 
ment, only  to  pass  away  a^ain.      At  last,  however,  as 


^-^^ 


Northernmost  (irccnlantl 


we  were  slowly  and  painfully  crtepini^  down  the  sloj)e 
of  an  ancient  moraine,  two  black  ohjccts  were  sjjied 
across  the  valley.  As  we  looked,  the  space  between 
them  narrowed.  There  could  be  no  doubt  this  time. 
They  were  musk-oxen,  and  I  stoojx-d  to  pat  Pau's 
head  and  speak  a  word  of  enc(  ura^^ement  to  the  noble 


MY  FIRST  MUSK-OXEN. 


doo;',  for  I  knew  fresh  meat  would  restore  the  brilliancy 
to  his  dull  eyes  and  savc^  his  life. 

As  ([uickly  as  possible,  we  crept  behind  the  crest  of 
a  hill,  restrainiuL,^  ever\'  s)-nip>t()ni  of  a  howl  or  cry 
from  an\'  of  the  doi^s,  and  then  worked  alon^"  towards 
the  feedino;'  animals.  lust  this  side  of  them  was  a 
deep  ravine,  traversed  by  a  glacial  stream,  one  arm 
of  which  branched  up  near  where  we  were.  ( )nce 
between   the  high  banks  of  this,  we    hurried  rapidly 


II 


I 


( 


33^        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

alonor  till    within   less  than   half  a  mile  of  the  oxen. 

Ihtre  1  divested  myself  of  m\'  pack,  and  left  Astriip 
and  tlu;  d()L,^s,  while  1  crept  on  down  the  ravine  to  a 
point  close  to  the  L,^amc.  Re.ichin^-  this,  1  ciimhed 
can^fulK'  u|)    the    hank,    and    looked   cautiously   over. 

1  here;  tlu;y  were  l)inL;;  down,  less  than  a  hundred 
yards  awa\-.  One  was  entirely  (juiet,  but  the  oth(;r 
turned  his  head  in  my  direction  as  I  couched  in  my 
excitement.  My  crippletl  Ica^  hatl  thrown  me  out  of 
all  the  d(;er  hunts  about  Retl  Cliff,  anil  lack  of  prac- 
tice and  the  nature  oi  the  L^anK;  iK^forc.-  me  _i;av(.'  me 
th(i  severest  kind  of  buck  fttver.  As  I  raised  my 
Winchester,  it  was  with  th(;  utmost  difficulty  that  I 
could  k(,'ep  the  sioht  on  that  ijreat  shanLTV  head.  I 
pulled  the  trii^rircr,  and  h(Mrd  tlu*  bullet  reach  the 
mark  somewhere.  Then  I  rose  and  ran  forward,  to 
be  as  near  as  possible  for  a  sna|)  shot  should  the 
animal  run.  Much  to  ni)*  sur|)rise,  as  I  api)earetl  on 
t\\v  scene,  he  rose  knsurely  and  advanced  towards  me, 
as  if  to  si;e  what  mi^ht  b(;  the  trouble.  A  second  shot 
poi  it-blank  sta_i;_L^ere'd  and  discoura_L,''e'tl  him,  and  he 
turned  away,  i^iviuL;  me  the  cU-sired  shot  back  of  the 
fore  shoulders.  As  he  fell,  the  otluM'  rose  leisurely, 
cxposinij",  as  Ik;  did  so,  the  same  fatal  spot.  I  could 
hardly  credit  my  ^ootl  luck  as  I  rushed  forward  to 
examine  more  closely  the  i^reat  masses  of  loni(  black 
hair  and  soft  brown  wool  lyini;'  there  uj)on  the  rocks. 
Pamiliar  with  descriptions  and  j)ictur(;s  of  the  musk- 
ox,  I  had  )et  obtained  no  true  conception  of  the  ap- 
pearance of  these  stran^^e  denizens  of  th(;  farthest 
north.  The  ones  before  me  were  plunij)  and  rotund 
with  the  luxuriant  veiji'etation  of  the  little;  meadow 
spot  in  which  I  had  found  them  ;  they  were  just 
sheddin_o"  their  hc;avy  winter  coats  of  wool,  and  this, 
as  it  worked  out  throuL^di  the  lonjj;'  coarse  black  hair 
of  the  summer  coat,  fell  to  the  unround  on  either  side, 


Northcniniost  (irccnlaml 


?>^9 


jriviiiL^  the  animal  an  ai)|)(ar.uicc  of  si/.c  jj^rcath'  in  ex- 
cess of  the  reality.  This,  with  their  slow,  sedate 
movements,  made  an  impression  which  1  shall  never 
forL^et.  As  I  started  hack  to  hrini^-  np  Astriip  and 
the  do^s.  m\'  eye  was  attracted  hy  a  small  hlack  oh- 
ject  a  lumdred  yards  or  more  to  one  side.  llasteiiini^ 
to  it,  I  fonnd   the  strangest,  (|ui;erest   little  object. — 


MUSK-OX  SHEDDING  WINTER  COAT. 

a  vounLT  musk-calf.  Poor  little  thinir,  it  had  Ixnm 
taking;  a  promenade  while  its  j)arents  enjoy(;d  th(.'ir 
afternoon  siesta,  and  was  all  unconscious  of  the  mis- 
fortune that  had  befallen  them.  1  jjicked  it  up,  car- 
ried it  Ijack  to  the  others,  and  tethered  its  feet  with 
the  slino- of  my  carbine.  Then  I  went  back  to  .Astrujx 
I  found  him  (as  well  as  tlie  doi^s)  nearly  wild  with 
excitement.      At  my  first  shot,  h(;  had  climbed  out  of 


i.  M 


34^        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

his  |)l;ic('  of  conccahncnt  to  watcli  ther  affair,  and  al- 
ready knew  of  mv  L^ood  fortune.  Childish  as  it  may 
Sfeni.  I  went  to  my  doi^s,  |)aited  each  on  the  head, 
and  told  them  of  the  feast  in  store  for  them. 

Siiarj)  stones  and  weary  shoulders  were  now  for- 
j^^otten  as  we  hastened  to  where  the  fallen  musk-oxen 
lay.  The  doi^s  were  fastened  just  Ih:1ow  the  bank 
and  out  of   si^^ht  of   the   carcasses,  in   order  to  keep 


th 


lem   trom    Inrcomin*--   unnianaiicahU 


l)l( 


m 


Then  I  took 
y  camera  and  |)hotoL,n"ai)hed  the  new  specimens. 
'Ihis  done,  we  immediatel)'  hei^an  skinnini^  one.  It 
was  hut  a  short  time  before  we  had  a  huL;c  hind  (piarter 
skinned  and  cut  off,  anil  1  was  hurr)inj^r  down  to  my 
dops  with  it.  When  I  first  saw  them  tliev  were  all 
asleep,  e\haust(;d  with  the  lu^at  and  ditTicult  travellinj^. 

Miss  Tahwana,  always  on  the  alert,  was  the  first  to 
se(r  nw.  and  jj^ri.-et  ni}'  approach  with  a  joyful  )'elp. 
This  brouj^ht  Lion  to  his  feet  and  wakened  all  the 
rest.  For  a  moment  they  did  not  understand,  then 
as  it  dawned  upon  them  that  1  was  brini^int;-  them 
meat — raw,  fresh,  warm,  i)lo()d\'  meat,  which  they 
had  not  tasttnl  for  many  a  wear)-  day, — the  air  was 
filled  with  their  jo)ful  crit's  of  anticipation.  K\'en 
Pau  resumed  his  wonted  position,  and  crowded  to  the 
front  for  th(;  first  and  choicest  pit  ....  A  few  moments 
later  only  tlu;  bones  were  left,  one  in  the  possession 
of  Pan,  tlu;  other  i^^aiarded  by  Lion. 

Then  I  went  back  to  help  Astriip  finisli  the  work. 
An  hour  or  two  lat(,'r,  having'  skinnt-d  both  carcasses 
and  removed  the  hind  (piarters  and  sirloins  for  our 
own  use,  Astriip  and  nnself  took  one  of  the  car- 
casses, and,  carr\'inn'  it  between  us,  tf)ok  it  down  to 
the  dou^s.  Ai^ain  the  saim,'  wild  excitement  as  we  ap- 
proached. Stopi)in_!Lj;'  just  outsidf;  tlu;  limit  of  their 
traces,  we  ijave  the  bodv  a  swinLi'  'I'ld  tossed  it  in 
amono-  the  pack.     The  next  instant  it  was  covered  from 


Northern  most  Circcnhuul 


;>4i 


view  1))  the  sliaL^jujy  forms  ami  tciisc,  straining;;  linihs  of 
a  pack  of  ravenous  woUcs.  The  cai^cr  \rl|)s  and  howls 
were  silenced,  and  only  the  crunching'  of  hones  and  an 
occasional  low  L^rowl  could  l)c  heard.  Savaji^e;  as  was 
th(;  sij^ht.  1  sal  down  on  a  stone  near  hy  to  watch 
the  feast  of  my  faithful  c()mi)anions.  Wild  and  eaL^^T 
as  they  were,  they  were  still  amenaMc  to    my  voice, 


^^- 

"^^^^^^^fttfgrtttKT*"^ 

tiii,.i.-.aJi*^| 

SfliiiP'^'''          .;^ 

'■HIS,..,'  ■'.  '.'„,■ 

ii^^p 

"^ 

ih 

« 

^ 

> 

% 

mi-' 

4J  -=«   V 

> 

^l^^'^^W  ^__  .jbRAQK*   .ji^^k 

■IP 

-f     *^ 

*, 

^ 
?''?! 

« -*"^  " 

P^^B^Rjf*!*  t^^^^^T"  '"^i fc^^^^^^^^B 

ROYAL  BANQUET  OF  MY  DOGS. 

for  when  Lion  frc'ed  himself  from  his  harness  in  his 
violent  exertions,  I  pulled  him  away  from  his  hanfiuet. 
and  at  a  word  he.  crouched  ohtxlienl  at  m\'  feet,  till 
I  replacc;d  his  harness.  Lion,  ihe  thick-furred,  loni;- 
maned,  white  leader  of  the  Cai)e-'\'ork  team,  had  been 
my  favourite;  until  \aleL,faksoah  aj)peared  on  the  scene, 
and  he  was  always  tlu;  veteran  sled^c-do^  and  team- 
leader  on  the  march.      He  was  the  most  ex[jerience(l 


t 


'.■* 


.)!   -I' 


i;i 


342       Northward  over  the  "  Great  Ice  " 

and  th(j  toiiiilu-st  of  m\'  tloLis.  Never  ditl  he  Lj-et 
tangled  in  his  traces.  Never  did  he  attem])!  to  eat 
his  harness.  Nevc;r,  except  in  this  sinL;le  instance 
chirinL,^  his  gastronomic  ecstasies  over  the  carcass  of 
the  musk-ox,  had  1  known  him  to  s^et  out  of  liis 
hci''ness.  I)Ut,  as  Astnjp  said,  l.ion  was  no  enthusiast 
and  his  hump  of  affection  was  not  kirL^ely  deveh^ped. 
When  my  ea^-er  woh'es  liad  thiished,  only  the;  white 
and  broken  bones  of  the  musk-ox  were  left.  Hvery- 
thins^  eatal)le  had  disa|)pearc:d,  and  the  doL(s  were 
filled  almost  to  burstin^^. 

In  the  meantime,  Astriij).  boy-like  and  Crusoe-like, 
with  his  ever-present  artistic  sense  of  the  fitness  of 
thintrs,  had  found  near  by  a  ^rass-covered,  Hower-be- 
sprinkled  bit  of  soil,  close  to  a  little  stream,  and  there 
had  spread  the  musk-ox  skins,  and  ri^^cHl  up  a  lijL^dit 
cotton  sail  which  we  carried,  into  a  kitch(;n,  or  sh(;lter 
for  the  alcohol  stove.  Here  he  invited  me  to  come 
and  stretch  myself  on  the  luxurious  fur  couch  while 
he  proceeded  to  broil  some  musk-ox  steaks.  How^ 
delicious  they  were  !  xAstriip  could  hardly  broil  them 
fast  enoui^h  to  sui)pl\-  the  demand.  .Sweet  and  tender 
and  juicy,  they  far  exc(.'lled  anytliin^-  of  the  kind  that 
it  was  ever  my  j^ood  fortunt;  to  taste.  Wearmess  and 
foot-soreness,  all  vanished  for  the  time  under  the 
maij^ic  of  an  abundant  supply  of  fresh  meat  for  my 
doo^s  and  a  fine  dinner  for  ourselves. 

It  would  have  been  suicitlal  to  have  attempted  to 
make  our  doos  travel  immediately  after  their  recent 
feast,  and  as  I  did  not  wish  to  leave  them  here,  it  was 
necessary  that  we  should  wait  several  hours  until  they 
were  in  condition  to  move.  \\v  improved  the  oppor- 
tunity to  snatch  a  little  sleep,  and  both  men  and  beasts 
were  wonderfully  refreshed  by  the  time  we  started 
ao;^ain  on  our  tramix  A  few  more  summits  rose  before 
us,  but   at   last   there  could    be   no   further  qut^stion. 


i; 


Northernmost  Grccnhind 


The  next  one  would  surcl)'  give  us  the    long-desired 


view, 


Eagerly  we  climbed  thv.  ragged  sl()i)e,  over  ragged 
rocks  and  through  tlrifts  of  heavy,  wet  snow.  The 
summit  was  reached.  A  few  steps  more,  and  the  rocky 
plateau  on  which  we  stood  drop|)e('  in  a  giant  iron 
wall,  that  would  grace  the  Inferno.  3S00  feet  to  the 
level  of  the  bay  below  us.  We  stood  upon  the  north- 
east coast  of  Greenland  ;  and,  looking   far  ofl    over 


CAMP  MUSK-OX. 


the  surface  of  a  mighty  glacit:r  on  our  right  and 
through  the  broatl  mouth  of  the  bay,  we  saw  stretchiuLT 
awa\'  to  the  horizon  the  great  ice-fields  of  the  Arctic 
Ocean.  We  had  travelletl  twent\-six  miles  in  a  north- 
easterly direction  from  Moraine  Camp,  where  we  had 
left  our  sledge. 

Prom  the  edge  (.f  the  towering  cliff  on  which  we 
stood,  and  in  the  clear  light  of  the  brilliant  summer 
day,  the  view  that  spread  away  before  us  was  magniti- 


It 


344       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

cent  licyoiul  description.  Silently  Astrui)  and  myself 
took  off  our  packs  and  seated  ourselves  upon  them  to 
fix  in  mcmiory  every  detail  of  die  never-to-be-forL,^otten 
scene  before  us.  All  our  fatii^aies  of  six  weeks'  struj^jj^le 
over  the  ice-cap  were  forLi^otten  in  the  L,^randeur  of  that 
view. 

Our    observation    point    was   a    inant  cliff,  almost 


-'•■'Si 


•*S^'>^ 


r^y:»0^^'^ 


K— •       ■«■■ 


m 


VIEW  FROM  NAVY  CLIFF. 


vertical,  overlooking^  the  bay  and  a  oreat  orlacier  that 
entered  the  bay  on  our  right.  We  thoui^ht  we  had 
left  the  Inland  Ice  behind  us,  but  here  was  a  miohty 
ice-stream,  one  of  the  largest  we  had  seen  in  Greenland, 
that  had  pushed  out  from  the  ice-caj)  to  find  the  sea. 
Looking- ()\er  our  right,  shoukler  to  the  south-east,  we 
could  see,  beyond  the  thousand  red  boulders  in  the 
foreground,    and  through   a   depression   in   the   hills, 


Northernmost  (irccnland 


;45 


the  middle  course  of  the  broad  ice-river  glistening  in 
the  sun. 

Across  the  giacii;r,  hounding  the  fjord  on  the  east, 
rose  a  long  line  of  jji'ecipitous,  bronzed  cliffs,  higher 
even  than  the  one  on  which  we  stood,  and  j)rojecting 
several  miles  farther  out  into  the  bay.  The)-  rosv. 
four  thousand  or  more  feet  in  sheer  height  above  the 
glacier,  and  terminated  in  a  grim  promontory  sloping 
steopK^  to  the  water.  On  their  huge;  shoulders  these 
wild  cliffs  supported  a  great  projecting  tongue  of  the 
Inland  Ice.  Some  fifteen  miles  north-(,'ast  of  where  we 
stood,  these  cliffs  ended  in  a  hv)ld  cajje  which  1  named 
Glacier  Cape.  Dark  clouds  seen  over  and  l)e)()nd  the 
ice-cap  on  these  cliffs  seemed  to  indicate  that  the  shore- 
line trended  rapidly  away  to  the  east  or  south-east. 

Stretching  out  beyond  that  cape,  and  more  than 
fifteen  miles  north  of  Observation  Point,  as  I  named 
the  spot  where  we  stood,  we  could  trace  the  periphery 
of  the  big  glacier,  whose  fan-shaped  face  rested  at  one 
end  on  Glacier  Cape,  and  at  the  other  on  a  promon- 
tory several  miles  north-west  of  us.  I  estimated  that 
the  periphery  of  this  fan-shap('d  face  of  the  glacier 
was  fully  twenty  miles  (/i  more  in  length.  The  glacier 
seemed  to  have  little  or  no  xcn'tical  face,  but  almost 
to  blend  with  the  bay  ice.  This  appearance  may, 
however,  have  been  due  to  our  elevation  and  distance. 

Looking  to  the  west,  we  saw  the  opening  of  the 
fjord  that  had  barred  our  northern  advance,  ^t  was 
this  fjord  whose  western  entrance  we  hatl  descried 
afar  oft  days  before.  Now  w^e  knew  that  we  had 
paralleled  its  course  across  the  northern  end  of  the 
mainland  from  Robes  )n  Channel  clear  to  th(^  Arctic 
Ocean  oft"  the  shores  of  north-east  Gre(;nland.  h'or 
days  we  had  kept  constantly  in  view  the  mountain 
masses  forming  the  southern  boundary  of  this  channel, 
and  throuofh  rifts  in  the  mountains  we  had  from  time 


'H 


346       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


to  tiiiKj  S(::l'11  this  depres- 
sion, antl  had  now  and 
then  caiiirht  irhmj)ses  of 
the  frozen  channel  oc- 
ciip\inj^  it;  and  we  had 
seen  be\ond  it  mount- 
ains  and  fjords  stretch- 
ino;  i)etween  them.  It 
was  evident  that  this 
channel  marked  the 
northern  boimdary  of 
the  mainland  of  Green- 
land. 

To  the  north-west, 
north,  and  north-east 
stretched  steep  red- 
brown  bluffs  on  the 
other  side  of  the  bay, 
with  a  tlat  fore-shore 
reaching-  to  the  water's 
clU^h  ;  and  we  could 
make  out  to  the  north- 
ward the  entrance  of  a 
second  fjord  or  channel 
extendi ntr  apparently  to 
the  north-westward. 
The  resemblance  of 
these  bluffs  to  that  shore 
of  McCormick  Bay 
which  formed  our  head- 
quarters was  very  strik- 
in<r.  Close  at  hand  a 
sint^le  isolat(?d  ice-cap 
crested  these  bluffs,  but 
disapj:)eared  in  the  mid- 
dle  distance  ;   and,    be- 


ACADEMY  GLACIER  AND  INDE- 
PENDENCE  BAY. 


Northernmost  Greenland 


34 


OH-/ 


yond  that,  the  shores  which  stretched  far  a\va\'  to  the 
north-east  wen;  free  of  snow,  and  the  summits  free  of 
ice-caps.  On  the  west  side  of  the  fjord  openinj^  were 
numerous  httle  ishuids.  There  is  c^very  reason  to 
beheve  that  to  the  north-west,  north,  and  north-east 
we  w^ere  j^azimj;'  upon  an  arcliii)ehiJL;()  wliose  western 
Hmits  Lockwood  had  discovered  in  1882. 

At  our  feet,  beyond  the  ij^'reat  fan-shap(.'d  perij)lu'ry 


of    our    biijf    i^hicier,    were    scattered    man)-    icebt'rLis 


prisoned  in  the  still  unbroken  surface  of  the  ba\  ice. 
Beyond  this,  the  bay  ice  seemed  perfectly  smooth  and 
unbroken,  and  stretched  away  uninterrui)ted  to  the 
distant  white  horizon  of  the  north-eastern  Arctic 
Ocean.  We  could  distinctly  discern  the  broad  exjjanse' 
of  the  ice-covered  sea,  but  the  distance  was  too  i^reat 
for  us  to  make  out  any  details  of  the  surface.  The 
most  distant  land  we  could  make  out,  far  to  the  north- 
east, lookincr  ()\(,'r  the  point  of  Glacier  Cape,  must 
have  been  sixty  miles  away.  It  seemed  to  be  ilat- 
topped  and  there  was  no  ice-cap  on  it. 

Far  out  in  the  centre  of  the  ba)',  we  could  make 
out  a  clouded  appearance,  undoubtedly  due  to  the 
formation  of  water  i)0()ls  upon  the  surface  of  the  ice, 
the  first  si^ns  of  approachinj^^  disintei^^ration.  lUit 
we  could  see  no  si^ns  of  cracks  in  the  distant  l)a\' 
ice  ;  and  we  looked  in  vain  for  an)-  sij^ns  of  ice-cap 
on  the  lands  west  and  north-west  of  our  point  of  view. 

I  could  now  understand  the  feelings  of  Halboa  as 
he  climbed  the  last  jealous  summit  which  hid  from 
his  eaLTer  eves  th(?  \)\uv.  wa\-es  ot    the  miLfhtv   Pacihc. 

As  w^e  took  in  this  wide-s]jr(?adinu^  panorama  from 
our  point  of  vantao^e  over  tliree-fifths  of  a  mile  abovi; 
the  bay  ice,  the  sound  of  a  cataract  came  up  to  us 
from  far  below,  and  I  v,  as  surpris(!d  to  hear  the 
familiar  drone  of  a  bumble-bee.  We  soon  cauL^ht 
sight  of  the  insect,  which  lingered  in  our  neighbour- 


1    !1 


348       Northward  over  the  *•  Great  Ice 


hood  for  some  time.  The  tlics  tliat  l)iizzcd  arouiul 
us  were  ciltoLiX'thcr  too  numerous  to  count.  The  da\ 
was  (U^liirhtfull)'  warm  and  calm. 

Our  silent  contemplation  of  the  sublime;  view  at 
an  end,  1  opened  tlur  box  coiUaininL;'  m\-  transit  and 
set  it  hrmly  amon<j^  the  rock..-,  to  make  m\'  ob.-,  -rva- 
tions  for  position.  The  interims  between  these  obser- 
vations (  e  q  u  a  1 
altitudes  from 
thre(;  hours  be- 
fore local  noon  to 
three  hours  after- 
wards) Ll^av(.'  time 
for  a  round  of 
pho  t  o  ora  j)h  ic 
views  and  notes 
upon  our  sur- 
roundiuL^^s,  and  to 
be^in  the  con- 
struction of  the 
cairn,  w  h  i  c  h 
should  be  in  th(.' 
coming'  \ears  the 
silent  record  of 
our  visit  there. 
'Idle  result  of  the 
observations  was 
the  fixing-  of  the 
position  of  Ob- 
servation Point 
as  8i°  37'  5"  north 
atitude  and  34"  5' 
west  longitude. 

The     observa- 
tions  finished,    I 
brought  out  the  little   silver   flask  of   brand)-  which 


THE  STARS  AND  STRIPES  AT  NAVY  CLIFF. 

July  4,  1S92. 


350       Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

time  and  plact-  at  wliich  it  was  found  ;  or,  if  more  convenit'nt, 
to  deliver  it,  for  that  purpose,  to  tlie  United  States  Consul  at  the 
nearest  pori." 

(This  was  repeated  in    French,  Spanish,  Dutch,  Danish,  and 
derman.] 

A  duplicate  of  this  saniL*  record,  rolled  closely  and 
inserted  in  a  twelve-inch  brass  tluM'nionK'ter  case,  was 
also  deposited  in  tlu-  cairn,  and  then,  luider  one  of 
the  llat  stones,  an  entire;  copy  of  the  New  York  Sun 
of  Sunday,  June  7,  1S91,  and  JIarpcrs  Weekly  of 
May  23,  1891.  AftcT  tht;  capstone  was  put  on.  the 
tlaL^s  of  the  Philadeli)hia  AcadcMny  of  Natural  Sci- 
ences and  the  National  ( ie()L;ra|)hic  Society  of  W'ash- 
insj^ton,  prestMited  by  Miss  l)ahlL,n-en,  were  attached 
to  th(.'  bamboo  staff  of  the  little  silken  ouidon  (which 
Mrs.  Peary  hatl  made  at  Red  Cliff  House  and  pro 
sented  to  me  as  a  Christmas  present),  and  the  staff 
was  fixed  in  the  cairn.  How  JL^loriously  the  l)rilliant 
colours  sparkled,  as  the  wind  from  the  mighty  ice-cap 
spread  them  to  the;  vi\id  sunlight  antl  tilled  the  air 
about  the  sinnmit  of  the  L;reat  bronze  clift  with  their 
laui^hinjj^  rustle  I 

Photographs  of  the  cairn  and  of  the  ilai^s  w(;re 
taken,  a  handful  of  (lowers  j^athered  from  the  rocks, 
and  with  a  parting;-  look  at  the  scene  which  lunnan 
eyes  mi^ht  not  see  a^ain  for  years,  perhaps  never, 
we  turned  back  towards  the  orcat  ice-cap.  Half  a 
day's  march  brouL;ht  us  back  to  the  camp  in  Musk- 
Ox  Valley. 

Tyino-  our  doo^s  so  that  they  could  feast  upon  the 
body  of  the  second  musk-ox,  we  thmi;-  oiu'selves  upon 
otu'  couch  of  musk-ox  fur  Ijeside  the  babblino'  l)rook, 
and  with  the;  sky  of  Itah'  ibovc;  us.  bright  yellow 
dowers  peering"  at  us  from  amono-  the  forbitldini^ 
rocks,  and  soft  misty  wreath^,  creeping"  iij)  the  i;'orL;es 
from  the  basin  of  the  ^iant  <rlaciei",  we  L;ave  ourselves 


W. 


Northernmost  ( irccnlaiul 


j:) 


up  to  tho  luxury  of  perfect  rest  ami  itllc  tancies.  All 
care  and  responsibility  and  weariness  of  hotly,  worry 
as  to  the  doiL^s,  and  disappointUK-nt.  were  thrown  to 
the  winds.  On  this  da\'  1  would  he  a  hoy  with  As- 
triip,  and  we  would  celehratt?  the  !;j^lf)rious  old  I^'ourth 
in  a  royal  dinner.  It  was  rathe-r  late  to  eat  our 
I'\>urth-of-July  dinner,  for  the  fifth  of  the  month  was 
full  j^rown  ;  but  we  had  been  too  busy  at  Observa- 


"  BESIDE  THE  BABBLING  BROOK." 
A  Perfect  Summer  Day  in  Musk-Ox  \'alley. 

tion  Point  to  think  of  spreadinsj^  a  bancjuet  there,  and 
anyway  our  anniversar\'  spn-ad  was  only  a  little  be- 
lated.     This  was  our  menu  : 


Brandy  Cocktail,  (/  la  F.jurtli  of  July. 

I'ca  Soup. 

Sauterne. 

Sirloin  of  Musk-Ox  Broiled,  uitli  I'.iscuits. 

Veal  Cutlets,  with  Biscuits. 

Bartlett  Pears  anil  Cream,  a  la  Tin  Can. 

Tea  and  Biscuits. 


352       Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice 


/ 1' 


1 1 


^« 


Never  was  a  dinner  more  tlioroui/liK'  cnioved.  and 
never,  thou_L,dit  we,  was  sound  sleep  afterwards  more 
deserved.  Xothini;  could  l)e  simpler  than  our  prepa- 
rations for  the  ni,L;ht's  rest.  W'e  simpl\-  rolled  over, 
with  our  hacks  to  th(.'  kitchen. 

nurin^'  our  travers(^  of  this  northern  land.  I  found 
(lowers  of  numerous  varic.'ties  bloomiriL^-  in  abundance; 
conspicuous  amon^^  the-ni,  the  ever-present  arctic  poj)- 
j)y.  Snow-l)untiniL(s,  two  or  thret;  sandpipers,  a  siuL^le 
CirecMiland  falcon,  and  a  pair  of  ravens  were  ohser\ cd. 
Two  l)und)l(;-l)ees,  several  hutterllies,  and  innumerable 
flies  were  also  noted.  Without  makiuL,''  an\'  search 
what(;ver,  we  saw  about  twent\-  musk-oxen  alouL,*^  our 
route.  W'e  could  haxc  obtainetl  all  of  them  without 
the  least  difficulty,  and  as  it  was  \\(\  killed  two  fine 
cows,  a  bull,  and  a  calf.  '\\\v.  musk-oxen  were  shed- 
dinjj;-  their  Ioul^  fine  wocd,  and  the  lonjj^  hair  on  their 
hind  (juarters.  W'cr  found  the  stomachs  of  \\\(\  cows 
we  killed  full  of  L(rass. 

Our  return  to  Moraine  Camj),  at  the  edi^e  of  the 
Inland  Ic(;,  was  but  a  repc.'tition  of  our  journey  down, 
except  that  Astriij)  antl  nnself  each  had  an  addition 
of  some  twent)-fivc:  or  thirtx'  pounds  of  musk-ox 
tonij^ues,  hearts,  and  sirloin,  and  four  of  my  best  and 
stront^^est  doL(s  carried  upon  their  backs  some  twenty 
pounds  apiece.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  this 
experiment  would  have  been  absolute-l\-  impossible  ; 
but  now  my  do^s  were  so  completely  surfeited  with 
food,  having"  eaten  all  of  two  musk-ox(Mi,  except  what 
they  were  now  carr\-in!Lj;,  that  the  meat  on  their  backs 
had  no  attraction  for  them.  If  I  could  have  fc^x-se^n 
this,  my  anxiet\'  for  some  time  i)revious  woukl  have,' 
been  Ll^reatly  relieved.  Now,  howexer,  I  had  ei^iit 
well-fed  doL^s  with  which  to  start  back  to  McCormick 
Hay.  As  for  ourselves,  we  had  been  feasting'  on 
musk-ox  veal,  sirloin,  and  tenderloin  ;  and,  stran^;e  as 


U 


K 


/  NDEPENDENCE    8AY 


— "ZS^^ 


^ 

^ 


M  A  P    O  F 

INDEPENDENCE  BAY 

\  EAST  COAST  OF  GREENLAND 
,  July     V"   i8^l 

/  R.E.Peary.  U.S  Navy 

OBSERVATION  SPOT  ON  NAvt  Cliff 
lat.  er  31  5"  N 

LONG    ?>M*5'    W. 


MAP  OF  INDEPENDENCE  BAY. 
(Used  through  the  courtesy  of  the  American  Geographical  Society,  New  York.^ 


I 


iA 


% 


*5 


354        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice 


it  may  appear,  we  liail  had  a  surfeit  of  our  fresh  food  ; 
and  as  we  picked  our  way  o\(r  the  tiresome  boulder 
frajj^nu,'nts,  on  our  journey  hack  to  Moraine  Camp, 
Astriij)  reiterated  that  he  wished  we  were  hack  to  tlie 
camp,  for  he  wanted  a  |>iece  of   pemmican. 

1  liat  route  of  ours,  from  Moraine  Camp  to  Xavy 
Chtf  and  hack  ai^^'iin.  was  a  httU*  the  worst  traveUin^L^ 
we  found  in  (ireenhmd.  W'e  were  two  days  jL^t'ttinn 
back  to  tlie  camp,  and  when  we  rt.'ached  it,  ever\-  doir 
in  the  team,  except  old  veteran  Lion  and  mv  favour- 
ite  l^iu  (now  c;ntirely  recovereil ),  had  cut  and  worn 
his  feet  on  the  sharjj  rocks  until   they  were   bleedinj^. 


33 


■jI' 


'  -LTJgl-nr:^^: 


CHAPTI-R   XIII. 


KKJiiT   riior.sAM)   ii;i;i    aiiom;  hik  ska. 


•J 


Gf.ttinc  Rkady  k.k  tmk  Hcmkuaki)  March— a  Sti  adv  Ciimi;  to  tiik 
Top  OK  cJkkkm.and  — I'KisoM  1)  in  a  S.\u\\  I)(  ,..Oit  Sixty  IIolks  by  tiik 
HrcdKsT  Storm  ok  tiik  Skkiks— ciKoi'ivt;  oir  Way  kor  Two  Wkkks 
TiiRoi  (ill  Dk.nsk  Fo(;s  that  Crown  tiik  Summit  I'iatkai  — \Vk  Find  it 
VKRY  Hard  TO  Kkkp  tiik  Cocrsk— Iiik  Wind  oir  Soi.k  Rii.ianck— I.an- 
srn-DK  vNP  Dksponokncy  Di-k  to  tiik  Dripi-ini;  Mist--\Vk  Ahandon  a 
Si.kdck  AM)  Throw  away  Evkrythinc,  wk  can  Spark— Onck  mork   in 

•IIIK  Rl  AI.M  OK  SfNSIIINK  -MaKINi.  TlllRj  V  To  KoRTV  Mll.KS  A  DaV  on  IIIK 
HoMK-SlRKlCH  — MkKIIN(;  OCR  KrIKNDS  ON  I  HE  InI.AM)  IcK  — WkIaOMKI) 
BACK  TO  RkD  Ci.HK. 


•II 


f' 


o 

< 
O 


X 
H 

2 

O 

O 
2 


01 


T 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


KICHT    TIIOLSA.M)    !•  KK'l'    AHOXK    'lllK    SKA. 


'il  ^  T    7  H  had  looked  o 
\/\/        iijx)!!  the  Arct 
i      ^    ^         ( )  c  ('  a  n  f  r  o 


H  had  looked  out 
:tic 
in 
land  never  seen  before  by 
the  ey(;s  of  man.  We 
had  seen  the  islands  ris- 
ing" in  b.illsand  mountains 
be)()nd  the;  channel  that 
marks  th(;  northern  edo'c 
of  llu;  mainland.  Wc. 
had  done  all  ve  could, 
and  wcA'v  now  cont(,;nt  to 
set  our  faces  homeward.  Hut  hrst  of  all  a  halt  was 
necessary  at  Moraine  Camp,  for  both  man  and  beast 
were  sadh'  in  neetl  of  rest.  biu'thermore,  all  our 
equipment  needed  overhauling,  and  we  must  make 
careful  [)rei)arations  for  our  return  trip;  and  so,  while 
the  doL^s  curletl  themselves  up  in  the  spaces  betwettn 
the  rocks,  to  nurse  their  wounded  feet,  and  sleep, 
Astriij)  and  I  beij^an  overhauling-  our  impedimenta. 
We  threw  away  (;vt;r\'thinL;' we  did  not  absolutel\'  need. 
We  reduced  our  bii^'  three-runner  sledi^^c  to  its  oriL;inal 
dimensions.  All  the  sledij^e  lashini^s  were  inspect(."d, 
and  renewed  where  ne'cessarw  W  hip  and  snow-sho(;s 
and  ski  were  carefully  examined  and  put  in  order,  and 

357 


( • 


35^       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

many  a  rip  and  tear  in  our  costumes  were  repaired. 
All  our  foot-L,^ear  had  been  damaged  and  some  of  it 
completely  worn  out  durintj^  our  fifty  miles  of  over- 
land travellinj^,  and  it  required  our  best  attention  to 
fit  it  for  service.  When  all  the  work  of  preparation 
was  complete,  I  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  m(;raine  to 
look  once  more  upon  the  wild  northern  land  below 
me.  In  the  opposite  direction,  our  route  across  the 
frozen  Sahara  was  nearly  twice  as  loni^  as  the  dis- 


PACKING  FOR  THE  RETURN. 


tance  traversed  by  Nansen,  with  a  fresh  party,  in  his 
crossiuL!^  of  Greenland.  There  miirht  l)e  furious  and 
lono-continued  storms,  common  to  the  southern  por- 
tions of  this  orrcat  ice-ca[),  which  would  hold  us  pris- 
oners for  days  and  days.  There  miij^ht  be  sickness  ; 
there  miL,dit  be  mishap.  A  thousand  and  one  similar 
niohtmares  should  have  troubled  me.  Yet,  such  was 
the  power  of  perfect  health  and  conscious  strenj^th, 
such  the  mao'ic  of  that  summer   sunlioht,  that  not  a 


1 


Eight  Thousand  Foct  above  the  Sea     359 

shadow  would  stay  with  mc.  I  felt  unbounded  con- 
fidence in  our  ability  and  the  efficiency  of  our  ecjuip- 
ment.  The  idea  of  sickness  seemed  out  of  the 
question.  If  my  do^^s  oave  out,  we  had  with  us  the 
winired  ski  ;  and  with  these  I  knew  we  had  it  in  our 
power  to  cover  fifty  miles  pv.r  day,  for  three  or  per- 
haps four  days.  Then,  too,  this  i^lorious  sunlio-fit  was 
not  intended  for  men  to  die  in,  but  to  live  in  ;  and  the 
j^reat  Sahara  itself,  terrible  as  miu-ht  be  its  moods  at 
times,  desolate  and  full  of  unima^nnable  horrors  as  it 


STORM  CAMP. 

was  to  the  poor  natives  and  to  those  who  kn(;w  it  not, 
was  it  not  our  friend,  had  we  not  travelled  tlay  after 
day  upon  it,  slept  nij^ht  after  nioht  upon  its  bosom, 
and  sheltered  ourselves  beneath  its  ^listenin^-  surface  ? 
We  had  conquered  it  as  we  had  concputreci  tlic  do^s 
which  drao^o-ed  our  sledo-e,  and,  like  them,  it  was  now 
our  friend. 

At  last  all  was  ready.  On  the  eve  of  [ul\'  7th, 
while  the  sun  was  shining;  l)riiL;htK-,  w(;  turnc'd  our 
backs  on  the  land  and  startc-d  up  the  slope  to  reach 
the  icy  heights  above  us.      In  order  to  avoid  the  ere- 


m 


N  11 


.'f 


360       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

vasses  and  o^lacier  basins  which  had  so  hampered  us 
on  the  upward  march,  I  [)roposed,  in  returnin^^,  to 
keep  well  to  the  east  and  south  of  my  outward  course. 
The  first  mih;  or  two  from  Moraine  Cam]>  was  hard 
climhiuLi;-,  and  w(;  had  to  i^v.t  \nU>  the  traces  ourselves 
and  help  the  d(jos  haul.  I  was  not  surpriiied  that  our 
first  day's  record  was  only  t(;n  miles  ;  but  in  this  dis- 
tance we  had  climbed  a  thousand  feet  into  the  air. 
Best  of  all,  we  were  favoured  with  i^ood  .^oin^'.  A 
firm,  granular  crust  t^ave  easy  slij)pinL;-  for  the  sledij^es, 
and  the  best  of  footinjj;-  for  AstrCip  and  myself.  Dis- 
cardimj^  ski  and  snow-shoes,  we  trudi^c^d  aloni,^  in  our 
k.imiks.  \\\'.  were  terribly  sleeivhunL^ry  when  we 
camped,  but  were  still  abU*  to  enjo)-  the  reoulation 
Inland-Ice  tlinner,  Pemmican  with  cranl)erry  sauce, 
pea  soup  with  musk-ox  cut  uj)  in  it,  milk,  tea,  and  bis- 
cuit, all  tasted  more  than  i^ootl  ;  and  Astrup  had  been 
livinjj;-  in  anticipation  of  this  bill  of  fare  all  day. 

July  9th,  we  climbed  thirteen  hundred  feet  into  the 
air  in  a  distance  of  twenty-one  and  a  half  miles.  Still 
the  same  perft'ct  snow  surface  was  spread  around  us. 
The  day  and  the  goinij^  had  been  perfection.  When 
we  camped  I  felt  as  if  I  had  taken  my  ship  safely  out 
of  port,  and,  free  at  last  from  all  rocks  and  shoals,  had 
no  land  in  si^ht  and  only  tleej)  water  all  about  me. 
We  were  climbinL^;-  to  the  cloud-shrouded  plateau  of 
the  continental  divide,  and  the  ascent  to  the  misty 
frozen  heights  was  exhilaratim^-.  Whih*  the'  ice  sloped 
to  the  north,  it  also  had  a  ver\'  sensible  slope  to  the 
true  east.  All  the  sasfj'?iQi'  j^ointed  east,  and  the  wind, 
constantly  from  the  west,  was  pourins^  down  the 
slope. 

At  three  a.m.,  the  wind  died  down  and  off  came  our 
kooletahs.  We  had  had  the  sun  at  our  backs  all  the 
way,  and  it  was  a  comfort  to  g'et  into  camp  with  eyes 
in  a  usable  condition.      We  went  to  sleep  at  seven  a.m., 


Eight  Thousand  Feet  above  the  Sea     3^1 

nearly  a  half-inik;  higher  in  the  air  than  at  Moraine 
Camp.  Hut  sucli  was  tin;  lu-at  of  the  sun  that,  lyinji^ 
under  a  tarpaulin,  I  was  awakened  at  midday  in  a  pro- 
fuse perspiration.  I  f(dt  thankful  for  the  L!^ood  effect 
of  the  musk-ox  l)an{|uet  upon  our  doi^s,  which  was  still 
apparent.  I  hatl  tMi^ht  well-fed  doL(s  to  helj)  me  climh 
the  grade.       In  this  day's  marcli,  we  had  travelled 


PANIKPA. 


nearly  all  dav  without  ski  or  snow-shoes,  but  we  put 
them  on  towards  the  end. 

On  Jul}-  loth,  in  a  little  over  tw(."nt\'  miles,  we  rose 
nearly  a  thousand  feet  higher.  It  was  aj)i)arent  that 
the  continental  di\ide  runs  north  and  south,  and  was 
still  ahead  (^f  us.  It  was  a  hard  da\'  for  me.  I  at- 
tributed my  relaxetl  energies  and  mental  heaviness  to 
the  beverage  I   drank  at  breakfast.       I   wrote   in  my 


>  1 


362        Northward  over  the  "Great  ice 


>> 


diary  that  1  was  L;lail  \\v.  had  rcachctl  the  last  of  our 
coffee.  I  wore  niv  snow-shoes  all  tlav,  thoiiuh  the 
surface  wms  firm  enoui^h  to  supj)ort  sletl^es  and  do<^s, 
and  best  of  all  there  was  no  drift. 

One  of  our  doi^^s,  black  i^inikj)a,  loosened  his 
niuzzk;,  chewed  off  his  harness,  and  L;ot  at  our  musk- 
ox  meat.  A  timely  alarm  from  the  other  do<'s  brous/ht 
me  upon  him  before  he  had  eaten  a  half-pound,  and 
he  was  soundh'  thrashed  before  beini;-  titxl  ujj  ai^^'ain. 
This  d()L,r.  Panikjja,  1  called  the  '  L^ootl  little  boy." 
from  th(;  briL,du,  expectant,  "  ^ood-little-box-and-just- 
had-your-face-washed  "  expression  with  which  he  usetl 
to  sit  uj)  and  wait  ior  his  lunij)  of  jx-mmican. 

On  Jul)'  I  ith,  we  added  six  hundred  feet  to  our  al- 
titude in  a  distance  of  twenty  miles.  W'e  were  near- 
in!4'  the  region  of  clouds,  and  our  corrected  eh^yation 
now  was  about  7300  feet  above  sea-leyel.  The  air 
was  balmy  and  inviLj'oratinL;-  for  half  the  day.  I 
wondered  if  the  last  few  perfect  da)s  were  a  fair 
sample  of  July  weathc.'r  on  the  east-coast  slope.  ()ur 
picnic  was  about  oyer,  howeyer,  and  this  was  our  last 
march  for  two  days,  for  we  were  stopj^ed  and  driven 
to  our  burrow  in  the  snow  by  the  severest  storm  we 
had  experienced  since  we  left  the  basin  of  Humboldt 
(dacicM". 

When  we  had  completed  about  half  of  this  march. 
Pollux,  one  of  the  doi^s  I  had  purchased  of  Ahn_n(v 
doblaho,  fell  tlown  exhausted  and  could  haul  n^*  more. 
The  lantl  trip  hail  c;\idently  been  too  much  fo.  him. 
We  tietl  him  bc^hind  tlu;  sletlj^e,  and  he  walked  for  a 
time  and  then  la\'  down,  and  wt;  put  him  on  the  sledge 
till  wv.  reached  camp,  where  \\v.  killed  the  poor  felh^w 
and  added  him  to  our  doi4-commissar\-  stores.  Mean- 
time the;  barometer  indications  [)()inted  to  a  storm 
brewing'.  In  the  last  few  hours  ot  our  march,  a  heavy 
frost-bank  enveloped   us,  and   1   found  it  altected   my 


1 


vi^ 


Itiirht  Thousand  I'cct  above  the  Sea 


■.•^ 


eyes  more  unfavourably  than  the  hri^htest  sunlight. 
We  had  no  more  tlian  huill  our  siiow  slielter,  when 
the  storm  l)urst  upon  us  in  all  its  fury. 

At  an  clcxation  nearly  two  thousand  feet  higher  tiian 
the  summit  of  Mt.  WashiuLiton,  \v(;  were  i)rison('rs  on 
the    Inland    Ice,      hor   fort}-eii4ht    hours,  until    three 


^^ 

A 

'^^^'Jmt^^  ^ 

^ 

IsKmvik.    ^ 

m 

^i^i 

/% 

^■'M 

■  I 

^A 

i 

W  '- ' 

s 

r* 
',.#■' 

/^ 

#  C,„...  ■ 

1 

r 

Ml 

■■•  ^^'\%.'''  ■■  :-^ 

i 

1 

\ 

^ 

F 

-«f 

~ 

,4i^"« 

r 

THE   KITCHEN. 


o'clock  on  the  morniuLj-  of  July  14th,  there  was  not  a 
moment's  cessation  in  the  howling"  storm  that  swejjt 
with  resistless  fur\-  down  the  slope  towards  the  wild 
east  coast.  Tlu-  trench  in  which  we  lav  in  the  snow 
was  two  feet  hii^di,  three  feet  wide,  and  sc-xcn  feet  lon^;", 
and  was  covered  with  a  cotton  roof  for  half  its  lenL''th. 


i 


364       Northwartl  o\cr  the  "Great  Ice 


\Vc  spcMit  si.\t\-  hours  in  tliis  snu^-  ahoik-.  and  I  was 
mon,'  coniforlahlc  throiu'liout  the  storm  thaii  in  an\' 
I  liacl  niL'l  since;  coming'  u])()n  the  Inland  Ice.  W  c 
were;  warm  and  dry  tlirou^ii  it  all,  and,  in  si)itt;  of  the 
drift  that  had  piled  up  oxer  us,  we  were  able  to 
chan^(M)ur  position  v\hciic\er  we  desired.  1  emeri^cd 
from  our  dritt-covcrcd  refusj'e  onl\'  once  in  the  si\l\' 
hours.  \\\;  s!e|)t  a  i^reat  deal  of  the  lime.  If  we 
could  not  travel,  we  \\v\'v.  at  least  resting;  in  anticipa- 
tion of  renewed  and  more  \. porous  eltorts.  If  any 
one  coulil  have  seen  our  ramp,  h*-  \\v  uld  have  thought 
we  were  buried  alive.  Sleil^cs.  men,  and  doL];-s  had 
disapi)ear(Ml  from  view,  and  onl\'  snow  mounds  marked 
their  rc;stinL;-i)lac('s.  No  sound  could  we  hear  from 
the  do_ns.  hut  only  the  incessant  roar  ot  the  storm 
and  the  swish  of  the  snow  .  it  drove  oxer  and  past 
us.  down  the;  slope;  towards  the  (;ast  coast. 

When  at  last  the  storm  abated  iuitl  the  sun  tried 
feebly  to  stru_L;_L!,le'  into  \iev,  I  fi)und  the  drift  was 
still  so  I'lerce  that  the  do^s  would  not  face  it,  and  so 
I  made  no  attempt  to  start.  The  last  twelve  hours 
of  our  enforced  idleness  dra^^'cd  very  slowh',  but 
finally  we  made  preparations  to  start,  a  more  formid- 
able task  than  mi^ht  be  supposed. 

It  took  Astriij)  fortN-hve  minutes  of  continuous 
labour  to  straighten  out  th(;  frozen  tan^k;  of  the  traces, 
tied  by  the  incessant  restlessness  of  the  doi^s  into  a 
knot  that  would  have  put  a  dozen  Gordians  to  shame 
I 
out  the  sledj^es 

I  found,  to  my  dismay,  while  looking'  over  the 
stores,  that  two  cans  of  pemmican  had  been  spoiled. 
This  doubtless  was  the  result  of  exposure  to  the  heat 
of  the  sun  durin^^  the  few  days  that  the  sledges  lay 
on  the  rocks  at  Moraine  Camp.  With  much  anxiety, 
I  carefully  examined  the  other  tins,  and  I  thought  I 


was  eULraired  the  same  lenL>"th  of  time   in  diooinLr 


~l1 


Hight  Thousand  l-cct  above  the  Sea     305 

had  reason    to  believe  that   still   other  cans  had  be- 
come unfit  for  food. 

It  was  with  no  j)leasiiral)le  feclinL;-,  therefore   that 
we  resumed   the  march.      'Vhv,  loss  of  one  of  mv  best 


POLLUX. 


do.LTs  and  the  spoihn.or  of  some  of  my  pemmican 
loomed  up  before  me  as  suu;o-estive  of  mountains  of 
trouble  to  come.  The  lono-  inactivity  in  our  snow 
burrow  for  sixty  hours  had  sli.crhtly  impaired  my 
digestion,  and  the  prospect  of   beino-  reduced  to  eat 


;66 


Northward  over  the  "(^rcat  Ice 


:'V 


cl()L,^-ni(Mt,  and  of  having-  to  haul  a  sIccIl^c  for  some 
liiiiulrftls  of  aiilcs,  witli  no  tloij^s  to  help  us  in  the 
traces,  SL'cmcMl  to  stare;  nic  in  the  face.  To  crown 
all,  the  clou(h:  en  A'rappcd  "s  ;'.s  we-  startctl,  and  the 
dismal,  hopeh-ss  \v(;aliier  ,L;a\e  poi^iianc)'  to  m\'  de- 
spondc  u:y.  After  lunch,  I  sent  Astriip  aheail  to  set 
tile  course,  and  I  dnnc-  the  do^s  myself  in  order  to 
di  .-erl  my  thoughts, 

I  wonder  if  any  of  m\'  readers  have  experienced 
the  seiisation  of  tram|)in<>-  steadil\-  for  da\s  and  weeks 
ai)parentl\-  towards  nothing?  Is  there  a  spot  m  the 
Sahara  so  utterly  desolate,  s.)  xoid  of  c;ver\'  (.-lement 
of  hopefulness  in  its  surrounding's,  as  that  ^reat  pla- 
teau over  which  wc;  were  now  to  drai^  our  wearied 
steps  for  a  fortnight,  with  damp  and  clin^iuL,^  snow^ 
under  our  feet,  and  a  thick,  frozen  fo*;'  choking'  us 
and  han^ini;-  to  our  L^arments  in  milk-white  fr()st-cr\s- 
t:ils'''  'I'hert;  was  no  oasis  to  which  we  could  bend 
uir  stej)s,  and  there  recruit  our  courai^e  and  streni^th 
lor  lurther  toil  over  the  arctic  w.iste.  Our  only 
oases  were  in  the  skies  ;  for  now  and  then  we  could 
dimly  see  the  sun  shininLT  throuLfh  momentarv  rifts 
in  tlu;  mist,  and  far  off  alono-  the  south  and  south- 
west horizon,  e  could  discern  just  a  line  of  ex(}uisite 
pale  !4Tt;enish-l)lue  sky. 

The  only  consoling-  thouLii'ht  when  we  pitched  camp 
on  th(j  first  march  after  the  storm,  was  that  we  were 
twentv  miles  nearer  home.  We  were  tired  enou^j:h 
to  sleep  well,  for  the  last  hours  had  leen  very  hard. 
We  were  no  lonj^^er  climbini^r  a  slope,  but  were  on  a 
jrreat  level  plateau  at  the  top,  or  very  near  the  top,  of 
Greenland.  The  wind  blew  strainht  from  west  to 
east.  The  sledjj^e  hauled  through  the  new^  snow^  as 
thouL^h  on  cloth.  The  doo^s  pulled  w(dl,  but  without 
spirit.  Every  tail  drooped  in  the  most  disconsolate 
fashion. 


Might  Thousand  Feet  ahoxc  tbj  Sea     ;,0  7 

The  t.'iil  of  an  li^sHino  A<)>^  is  his  moral  haronu-tcr. 
It  is  the  uncrrinj^;  L;aiiL,M'  to  thi'  slate  of  his  feehiii^s. 
One  irlancc  at  it  tells  vohiincs.  A  well-tilieci  stomach 
and  an  eas\--nmninL;  sleiloe  may  lift  him  to  the  height 
of  canine  felicity  ;  hut  heavy  sl<•tlL;inlL^^  the  hilini,^  whip, 
or  an  inglorious  ri.i^ht  with  a  iKM^hhour  in  the  traces 
may  plun^^e  him  to  the  depths  c*"   Jespair.      His  tail 


SAILING. 


tells  the  whole  story.      Now  every  tail  was  hanirinjr 
low. 

At  midniu^ht,  on  July  15th,  we  were  one  hundred 
miles  on  our  way  south.  That  morniiiL;"  the  weather 
was  colder.  It  had  stiffened  the  snow  that  was  drift- 
injr  heavily  when  we  went  to  bed.  Astriip  was  (|uite 
frozen  in  under  his  snow  blanket,  and  1  had  to  diLj' 
him  out.  The  low  ti-mp(,M*atur(;  hei-^htened  our  spir- 
its, and  we  set  out  in  fme  fc^ather  in  si)ite  of  the;  mist 
that  huni;'  all  about  us.  At  an\'  rate,  W(,'  thou^^hf  our 
fog  \vas  doubtless  an  improvement  upon  the  London 


•!: 


f 


<|l 


68 


Northwunl  over  the  "(ircat  kc 


t 

I 

y 


article  ;  hut  cxcii  an  expansive  snowscape  would 
have  been  a  welcome  relief  to  the  monotony  of  our 
march.  'I'he  do^-  driver  could  barely  sv.v  the  ,L;ui(k;, 
who  was  settinL;-  the  course  thre(;  rods  ahead.  We 
had  one  blessiii:^-,  for  we  were  faxoured  with  the  bttst 
of  snow-shoeing-  all  (la\-.  So  w<'  made  a  fair  day's 
march,  and.  to  introduce  as  much  variety  as  possible, 
Astri'ij)  and  I  chauL^cd  wcM'k  now  and  ih-'ii  as  do*^ 
driver  and  pihjt.      Late  in  the  day.  our  thoui^hts  were 


FORE    AND  AFTERS. 


suddenly  centred  on   Miss  'I'ahwana.  who  \vas  taken 
violently  ill. 

The  next  day  Tahwana  died,  and  we  carried  her 
body  on  the  sled^i^e  till  we  were  ready  to  feed  it  to 
the  doL]^s.  Miss  d'ahwana  was  my  canine  mascot. 
Early  in  the  winter,  I  had  purchased  her  of  a  ^ood- 
natured,  pigeon-toed  Eskimo,  who  livtxl  far  up  the 
li^ulf,  and  when,  after  he  had  _L,^one,  I  went  to  examine 
my  |>urchase  w^ith  the  aid  of  a  bull's-eye  lantern,  I 
found  that  she  had  but  one  i^^ood  eye.  At  first,  she 
was  wild  as  a  hunted  fox,  antl  whenevc;r  I  went  near 
her  would  disappear  in  the  burrow  in  the  snow  which 


r'Tsn 


\i'\'^h\.   riioLisaiul  I'cct  al)ovc  the  Sea     369 

formed  lu-r  shclt(!r  from  the  \)\U\vjr  winds.  After  a 
time,  she  Ix'came  less  timid,  would  take  food  from  my 
hand,  and  when,  early  in  the  spring,  she  i^^ave  hirth  to 
a  tamil\-  of  nine  puppies,  and  was  hrouL^ht  with  her 
little  ones  into  the  eiielosure  ahout  the  house,  when; 
tin;)-  would   he   better  shelleri'd,  she  became  as  tract- 


SOLITUDE. 


able  as  any  houseliold  \)vi.  Her  affection  for  me 
seemed  unbounded.  Day  after  da)'  upon  the  Inland 
Ice  no  niotion  of  mine?  escai)(;d  that  one;  (■)(-  of  hers, 
and  when,  after  a  halt,  I  jjicked  up  the  littk?  j^uidon 
and  started  forward  ai^ain,  her  sharp  \'elp  and  xii^or- 
ous  strus.;y-lcs  to  follow  me  were  the  signal  that  brou^^dit 


«Y 


J/ 


70       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


h' 


«. 


every  other  dojj^  into  iiis  harness  and  down  to  his  work. 
Poor  Tahwana  I  It  was  one  of  the  hhiest  days  of 
the  white  journe)'  when  slie  sickened,  her  bright  eye 
no  loni^-er  recognised  me,  and  her  tonj^f^ue  no  Ioniser 
had  strenj^th  to  reach  my  liand. 

Day  after  ckiy,  rare  hits  of  bhie  sk)'  wert;  alt(;rnat- 
inj^  with  lonij--c()ntinuetl  hanks  of  ck-nse  fo^",  wliich 
coated  us  and  the  do^s  and  sUxl^es  and  loads  with 
the  minutest,  opaque,  white  frost-crystals.  Parhelia, 
fo^-hows,  and  sun-pillars  on  the  foL;-,  of  L^reat  inten- 
sity, foruK^d  and  vanished  around  us  in  countless 
varic^ties ;  but  all  this  oor^-eous  j)a_<^(uant  could  not 
recomp(;nse  us  for  the  blanket  shroutl  of  dark,  cold 
fo<r.  We  were  now  bearing-  ra|)idly  away  to  the  west, 
and  I  hoped  soon  to  be  at  a  lower  level  and  out  of  the 
clouds. 

I  was  considerably  worried  as^ain  about  my  doo^s. 
Their  tails  were  ^eneralK'  drooj^jin^-.  riu;  loss  of 
Tahwana  was  ominous,  antl  it  seemed  to  me  the  ani- 
mals were  almost  com|)letely  played  out.  My  (;yes, 
too,  sufftned  in  the  foi;-  nearly  as  much  as  in  the  daz- 
zling- sunlioht. 

On  July  I  8th,  1  was  awakentxl  by  a  scMise  of  cold, 
and  found  the  wind  blowino-  directly  into  my  kitchen, 
which  had  been  built  the  previous  evening;'  with  the 
closed  end  to  the  wind.  This  c()mi)letc  reversal  of 
the  air-currcnit  soon  had  its  (.-ffect  upon  the  clouds, 
which  beoan  to  break  away,  ^ivino"  us  oiinij>ses  of  the 
sun  and  bits  of  sky.  When  we  made  our  midday 
halt,  blue  sky  was  all  about  us,  and  though  the  last 
snow  had  been  cU!posited  in  drifts,  the  surface  was 
fairly  firm,  and.  most  of  the  time,  su]^ported  the  doij^s 
and  sledoes.  We  liad  now  been  travellin;^-  seventy 
miles  amon<^  the  clouds,  and  the  temporar\-  chani^e 
revived  our  spirits,  and  the  do^s  were  brisker  in 
movement.     W^e    were  across  the  divide,   and  were 


Eight  Thousand  Feet  aboxc  the  Sea     371 

bt'crinnini^r  to  dcsccntl  the:  west  slope.  Takinu-  ad- 
vantage of  the  easterly  breeze.  1  rignrtnj  a  "  mast 
and  sail  on  my  sledge,  and  the  dogs  were  greatly 
helped.  We  were  at  last  south  and  east  of  the 
dreaded  Sherard-Osborne  Fjord  -egion.  which  had 
given  us  so  much  hard  work  on  our  wa\'  north  ;  and  I 
intended  now  to  bear  more  to  the  westward,  to  reach 
a  better  road  at  a  lower  level  parallel  with  our  out- 
ward course.      We  were  destined,  however,  to  travel 


CROSSING  PRUDHOE  LAND. 

many  more  miles  down  the  long  gentle  slope  before 
the  clouds  were  above  instead  of  around  us. 

The  night  of  July  i  8th  was  the  coldest  (  -  5'^  V. )  we 
had  experienced  since  early  in  Ma\-.  When  we  arose 
on  July  19th,  there  was  a'thick  frost-fog,  and  every- 
thing was  covered  with  milk-white  crvstals.  It  was 
snowing  and  blowing  dead  ahead,  and  we  delayed  the 
start  two  hours  until  the  wind  went  down  a  little. 
Snow-shoeing  was   excellent,  but   without   our   snow- 


I 


if 


J/ 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


k^ 


shoes  or  ski  \\v,  sank  vAi^ht  or  t(Mi  inches  at  every  step. 
It  seemed  almost  impossible  to  keep  a  course,  and  we 
went  >^ii;>^a_L^;_L,nnL;"  alono-. 

All  throuL,di  our  lonjj;-  marches  in  the  foi]^,  we  'bund 
the  work  of  k(?ei)inij;' to  tlu!  course  very  arduous.  The 
comi)ass  was  \vholl\-  una\ailal)le  to  a  man  walkin^r. 
He  could  not  see  the  snow  ahead,  and  there  was  al> 
solutc;l\-  nothiiiLr  xisible  to  ti\  tlu;  v.yc  uijon.  The 
only   resource   was   the  wind,  and   this  was  now  and 


A  HEAD-WIND. 


then  so  li^ht  that  I  was  ohli^ed  to  devise  and  use  a 
special  wind-vane.  I^y  takiuLj;"  the  compass  direction 
of  the  wind  ever\-  lifteen  to  thirt\-  minutes,  and  then 
keeping'  the  pennant  at  the  proper  an^le,  with  the 
bamboo  pcjle  held  projectini;- strai^^ht  ahead,  1  was  able 
appr()ximat(d)'  to  keej)  the  course  through  the  utter 
blankness  of  our  surroundings. 

July  20th  was  a  reddetter  occasion  because  it  was  a 
twenty-mile    day.       The   sun   i)aid  us  a  brief  visit   at 


V  ■ 


Eight  Thousand  Feet  abo\c  the  Sea     373 

one  A.M.  The  day  bcfoi-c,  in  thick  weather,  I  thoiiolu  I 
was  aware  of  a  slo^je  towards  the  W(.'st,  but  now  there 
was  no  mistaking-  it.  \\'(j  could  distincth-  see  the 
lonL(  slopes  towards  the  west  and  south-wist.  I'he 
result  of  niy  anxiety  in  behalf  of  the  do^s  was  a  slight 
increase  in  their  rations,  and  although  the  .L^oin^L;-  was 
still  hea\y  they  were  in  better  spirits. 

July  2  1st,  however,  was  a  disaj)|)()intin^-  day.  We 
had  counted  on  fifteen  miles  at  least,  and  made  onlv 
nine.  An  inch  of  snow  fell  after  lunch,  making-  the 
sled<^e  so  heavy  that  the  do^i^s  could  hardly  move   it, 

and     Astriip    said 

"  .      his  ski   felt   as  if 
\      sanded  on  the 
\^     bottom. 

On  this 

I 


\ 


found  I  had  only 
ninety    pounds    of 
pemmican    on    which 
to    feed    two    men    and 
six  do_os   till    our    journey 
was  ended,  and    at    the   rate 
we  were  travelling-  it  would  take 
over  twenty  days.      The  numer- 
ous snow-s(jualls  and  the  inter- 
minable foos  had  <^n-eatly  delayed  us.      I  decided  that 
we  must  abandon  one  sh'doe  and  throw  awa)-  every 


ON  THE  HOME  STRETCH. 


1/ 


374       Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice 


j^l 


pound  of  ljaL;na_L;c  wc  could  spare.  W'c  rc-packed 
our  l(iad  on  llui  little  sledge,  and  threw  away  a  pair  of 
ski,  a  pair  of  sncnv-shoes,  and  other  articles,  altOLj"ether 
weiij;-hinL(  ahout  fifty  pounds.  I  took  the  biL,*"  sledt^e 
in  tow  until  I  saw  that  the  small  one  carried  its  load 
well  tlirouL;h  the  heavy  snow,  and  then  I  cast  old  T'aith- 
ful  adrift.  We  made  over  sixtetMi  miles,  though  the 
snow  was  vc;ry  deep  and  hard  to  i)ull  through.  As 
we  camped  at  six  a.m.  on  Juh'  2 2d,  a  skua  or  jaej^er 
i^ull,  ll)inL;-  from  east  to  west,  passed  about  fifty  feet 
above  mv  head.  A  frost-fou^  descended  on  us,  cover- 
ino'  (^verythino-  with  its  crystals. 

Next  day  the  fo<^  kept  with  us  as  usual,  but  the  an- 
eroid showed  a  desc(Mit  of  four  hundred  feet.  We 
wx-re  leavinj^^  tile  drear\-  desert  of  the  summit  plateau 
very  u^radualh',  and  were  headiuL^  for  Camp  Separa- 
tion, in  the  basin  of  Humboldt  Glacier. 

Another  skua  oiill  hovc;red  over  our  camj)  when  I 
awoke  at  ei^ht  I'.m.  on  July  2^1-  ^^'e  started  in  a 
snow-storm,  but  soon  the  weather  b(,;came  so  thick 
and  calm  that  1  could  not  keep  the  course,  and  so  we 
lay  down  untler  a  tarpaulin  anil  i^ot  seven  hours' 
sleep.  Then,  strippinij;-  in  the  midst  of  the  snow- 
storm, I  indulged  in  the  luxurv  of  a  snow  rub-down 
at  a  temperature  of  +25"  I\,  and  then  lay  down  under 
a  tarpaulin  for  three  hours  Ioniser.  I  can  heartily 
recommend  this  ren^imc;  to  any  pt'rson  of  i^ood  phy- 
sique as  a  very  invi^^oratiui^  process.  As  we 
started  on  atj^ain,  the  storm  ceascxl.  The  fo^^-banks 
and  clouds  swept  over  and  huUL]^  ahead  of  us  till  mid- 
day, and  then  they  melted  away. 

The  realm  of  mists  was  at  last  above  and  behind 
us.  Once  more  we  saw  all  around  us  the  illimitable 
snow  plain.  There  hatl  been  times  when  we  were 
weary  of  the  si^ht  of  it  ;  but  how  beautiful  it  looked 
to  us  now  in  all  its  sparklino^  purity  and  ij^lory  !  Once 


..^:^.»^Jk.-*<:istsammabimumt!i: 


Iii<'"ht  Thousand  Feet  above  the  Sea 


.•>/  D 


more  \vc  saw  the  cx(iuisitc  azure  of  the  sk\-.  How 
glad  it  made  us,  and  h(jw  heartily  we  welcomed  the 
breath  ^f  the  hitinL(,  \et  still  beloved,  south-easter  ! 
There  coald  be  but  one  happier  moment  for  me  ; 
and  that  wculd  be  when  I  st(jod  a^ain  in  her  pres- 
ence who  had  so  bravely  bade  me  ( iotl-speed  as  1 
left  her  on  the  beach  of  McCormick  Ha\-. 

We   wer(;   now   below    1^'termann    I'jord,   and    ap- 
proximately five   thousand  feet  abcnn;  the  sea.      The 


ON  THE  SUMMIT  OF  DOME  MOUNTAIN. 

most  tryincj;'  experiences  I  had  on  the  Inland  Ice 
were  thos(;  lon^'  days  and  nii^'hts  whercnn  1  could  see 
scarcely  the  len-jfth  of  our  sledsjfes,  The  incessant 
endeavour  to  keep  a  course  on  the  march  impos(;d 
upon  me  a  strain  that  was  not  easil\-  endured.  Add 
to  this  the  constant  feeliuLj;'  of  heaviness  and  lassitude 
due  to  the  thick  fo^s,  and  perhap-.  in  some  measure 
to  our  lofty  elevation,  and  1  must  pronounce  the;  two 
weeks  I  spent  on  the  ice-cap,  at  an  ele-vation  of  eight 


3/6       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

thousand  feet  much  of  tlu;  time,  the  most  unpleasant 
of  my  Grecnhuid  cxpi-ricnccs. 

There::  is  a  irolden  mean  between  the  broken  ice  of 
the  u^lacier  bcisin,:  and  the  cloud-capj)ed  summits  of 
the  ice  plateau,  where  the  ills  and  obstacles  1  met  on 
both  m)'  routes  may  be  avoidetl. 

Now  we  trudged  alon^j^  in  th(;  sharp,  pure  air.  Hare- 
headed  and  in  my  undershirt  I  read  J:xi7cs  oj  Siberia 


as 


I  drc 


ove  tile  closes  ;   hut  hv  luncli-tuue  1  was  LiiacI  to 


I 


put  on  my  kooletah  and  pull  the  draw-strinij-s  tii;ht. 


X 


low  came  the  lialcyon  ciays  ot  our  Inland-lce  trip. 
'rh(^  niLjht  of  hilv  2<Sth  wr.s  a  glorious  march iuij-ti me, 
and  we  had  a  hne  run.  lust  before  lunch,  we  reached 
a  very  thin  vitreous  crust,  which  would  support  the 
sledi^e,  ski,  and  snow-shoes,  but  not  the  clo^s.  The 
next  day  we  were  still  traxcllint;"  over  this  crust,  and 
its  stiff  and  burnished  surface  and  down  ^rade  helped 
us  to  put  many  a  mile  behind  us.  Another  of  my 
clod's  had  L>iven  out,  and  been  fetl  to  its  more  fortun- 
ate  comrades  ;  but  xXu-  remaining-  five,  Pau,  Lion, 
Merktoshar,  Castor,  and  Panikpa.  were  powerful, 
brawny  brutes,  thin,  <^^aunt,  tou^h  as  steel,  and 
entirely  recovered  from  their  depression  of  spirits. 
They  were  sure  to  return  to  their  home  once  more, 
unless  some  utterly  unforeseen  mishap  should  com- 
pel Astriip  and  myself  to  eat  them.'      It  was  with  an 

'  These  five  dogs  lelurned  to  the  United  States  with  me  in  iS()2,  accompanied 
me  on  my  lecture  tour  (hirint^  the  w  inter,  and  started  I'.ortli  witii  ine  again  on 
the  Fa/con  in  1S93.  Castor  fell  overboard  in  heavy  weather  off  St.  John's  and 
was  lost,  l.ion,  Pau,  Merktoshar,  an.l  l'aiiik])a  did  their  share  of  the  ice-caji 
work  in  the  fall  of  1S93.  I'au  died  at  the  lodge  in  tiie  early  -spring  of  iS()4. 
Lion,  Merktoshar,  and  I'anikjia  went  tlirough  the  ice-ca])  work  of  i?(_)4.  Alter 
the  return  from  the  ice-cap,  I'anikpa  was  lost  by  one  of  my  hunting  parties  and 
dragged  liiniself  back  10  the  lodge  two  weeks  later  comiiletely  exhausted,  lie 
never  recovered  entirelv  from  the  strain  of  this  experience,  and  remained 
with  me  at  the  lodge  until  I  came  home  in  1S95,  when  1  gave  him  to  Nuktah. 
He  was  still  alive  in  the  summer  of  iS()()  and  remembered  nie  with  every  mark 
of  affection.  Merktoshar  was  also  alive  in  the  summer  of  iSc/).  Cion  died  at 
Karnah  in  December,  1S95,  in  the  heart  of  the  "  great  night"  which  he  knew 
so  well. 


^^JTT^     -     -' -: 


nieht  Thousand  Feet  abo\e  the  Sea 


'.--. 


."•/  / 


indescriljablc  thrill  of  pleasure,  at  the  end  of  our  first 
march  after  reachiiiL;"  the  fix c-thousand-foot  level,  a 
march  during"  which  we  covered  twent\-two  miles, 
that  I  found  m\-  tlo^s  still  comi)arati\-el\-  fresh,  'Idle 
next  day  we  cove-retl  a  little  more  :  the  next,  more 
still  ;  and  yet  each  nii^ht  it  seemed  as  if  we  were  as 
fresh  as  in  the  morniiiL;.  riu;  weather  during-  this 
time  was  perfection,  and   never  have   I   experienct-d 


iikm& 


PROF.   HEILPRIN  AND   HIS  PARTY. 


more  fulK'  the  moral  effect  resultinLT  from  the;  nhvsi- 
cal  exhilaration  of  rapid  travelling'.  \hc  do^s  felt  it 
as  much  as,  perhaps  more  than,  Astrtij)  and  I  ;  and 
thouL''h  their  natural  lone,  wolfish  sjallop  had  been 
trained  out  of  them  hy  the  h(.'avy,  laborious  pulling- 
of  the  last  three  months,  still  the  old  Hash  and  fire 
were  there.  They  had  not  been  worked  beyond 
their  elastic  limit,  their  tails  were  raised  and  tightly 


I 


tj 


i 


f 

h 


fi-<Sv 


37^        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

curled,  and  I  km-w  that  I  was  hriii^iiiL;-  hack  from 
one  of  the  loiiLTest  of  slcch'c  journcNs,  with  the  lieavi- 
est  of  loads  and  a  minimum  of  food,  a  team  of  dojj^s 
actually  in  ^ood  condition.      Oncct  mon;  we  liiL,dUened 

our  load  to  the  lowest 
limit,  looked  carefulK' 
to  the  lashings  of  the 
sk^doe,  and  put  in  ord(T 
our  equipment.  We 
were  now  east  of  the 
basin  of  Humboldt 
Glacier.  Nearly  two 
hundred  miles  away  was 
our  <^oal,  and  this  whole 
stretch  must  be  covered 
rapidly.  We  were  still 
out  of  sii^ht  of  land,  but 
a  few  da)'s  more  would 
brino-  us  within  view 
of  the  familiar  land- 
scape border! n<^  Whale 
Sound. 

On  July  31st  and 
August  I  St,  we  travelled 
over  the  rou^h,  frozen 
surface  without  aid  of 
snow-shoes  or  ski.  We 
passed  man)'  snow  hum- 
mocks, some  of  them 
fifty  feet  hij^di,  where 
the  drift  had  settled 
around  some  protrudin^!^  bit  of  ice  and  built  snow- 
hills  on  the  plain.  Sasirj/oi  were  also  numerous. 
The  surface  was  slopini^  perceptibly  towards  the 
western  sea.  Then  we  travelled  for  miles  without 
seeing  a  single  hummock  or  sash-itj^i. 


ii\!%iti 


A  BEACON. 


n 


,-?fak- 


■■«■ 


liieht  ThoLisaiul  l-'cct  above  the  Sea 


M 


We  were  iiiakiiiL^  cxj)rcss  sj)cl'cI  to  Red  Cliff  when, 
on  Aui^ust  2d,  we  neared  tlie  divide  between  the  I'ane 
Basin  and  the  Whale-Sound  region.  I'or  five  '  >urs 
on  that  day  we  climbed  diaj^'onally  a  very  1  '-^iilar 
but  ^rradual  ascent ;  and  at  seven  o'ch)ck  on  the  ii.orn- 
inci^  of  AuL^ust  3d  we  reached  the  summit.  trutlL,''ed  on 
some  miles,  and  camped  in  sij^ht  of  familiar  land,  the 
first  we  had  seen  since  we  k^ft  tlie  rej^ion  of  In- 
dependence Bay.  rh(j  wind  bk.'w  fresh  from  the 
south-east,  and  all  that  forenoon  and  the  previous 
afternoon  my  doi^s  had  been  continualh'  snitfinL;-  the 
air,  their  keen  nc^ses  evident^"  detecting-  the  presence 
of  land.  We  closed  the  da\  w«  ,;  a  talh'  of  thirty-hve 
miles  as  the  reward  of  our  'ay'  'ork.  We  hatl  worn 
our  snow-travelling^  i^ear  a:,  dd)-,  making  our  way 
throui^h  lij^ht   but  not  deep    -ow. 

The  next  mornini^,  \\'e  advanced  about  five  miles 
nearer  to  the  land,  and  tk  'Idlected  to  the  westward, 
in  order  to  o^et  into  our  outward  track  and  come 
down  over  the  Ioulj-  tongue  of  ice  stretchint;-  down  to 
McCormick  Ba\'  between  the  Sun  and  Tuktoo  (da- 
ciers.  I  had  intenlionally  kept  to  the  eastward  of  my 
outward  course  all  the  way  hack  from  Humboldt 
Glacier,  in  order  to  have  the  advantages  of  a  more 
level  road. 

Merrily  we  dashed  along  the  gradually  descending 
surface  into  the?  depression  north  of  Dome  Mountain, 
the  name  which  I  had  given  to  the  most  northerly  of 
the  giant  ice  hummocks  which  (,'xt('nd  from  the  vi\(j^(\ 
of  the  Inland  Ice  to  the  h(?ad  of  McC'oiniick  P)ay. 
Here  the  heat  t)f  the  meridian  sun  was  softcining  the 
surface  of  the  deep,  sludge-like  snow,  till  m)'  dogs 
were  unable  to  tnivel  through  it.  I  made  everv  ef- 
fort  to  get  across  upon  the  slope  of  Dome  Mountain, 
the  higher  elevation  and  northerly  exposure  of  which 
I  knew  would  enable  us  to  acKance  ;  but  in  this  I  was 


;4r^ 


380        Northward  over  the  "  Circat  Ice" 

unsuccessful,  and  was  oljlij-cd  to  halt  and  wait  for  the 
surface  of  the  snow  to  harden  ai^ain.  As  soon  as  this 
was  the  case  we  irot  under  wa\'  and  ziLrzajji/ed  u\)  the 
sl()|)(;  of   Dome  Mountain  for  some  hours. 

As  I  came  over  the  crest  and  looked  forward  to  the 
next  rountled  summit,  some  two  miles  distant,  I  saw 
movini;  l)lack  objects  upon  it.  The  LCroupinj^'  of  the 
objects  reseml>k:d  at  that  distance.'  a  coupk;  of  slediL,''es, 
with  an  accompanying'  party,  and  I  turned  and  shouted 


DOWN  THE  LAST  SLOPE. 


to  Astrup,  "  The  boys  are  out  lookin^,^  for  us."  At 
that  moment,  however,  the  members  of  the  other 
party  evidently  saw  us,  and  a  faint  cheer  came  across 
the  white  waste  to  our  ears.  The  objects  separated, 
and  I  could  see  there  were  seven  or  eight  in  all. 
Then  I  knew  there  was  a  ship  in  the  bay.  We  hur- 
ried rapidly  down  the  slope,  eager  once  more  for  the 
sight  of  familiar  faces.  The  other  party  at  the  same 
time  descended  from  the  eminence  on  which  they  had 


Iii*;ht  Thousaiul  l*cct  above  the  Sea     38 1 

bt.'cn,  and  in  a  very  short  tii  .  •  I  Lj^raspt-il  Professor 
Hcilprin's  liaiul,  aiul  i^^r(M;t(,'cl  tlu:  other  nieinhers  of 
his  party,  who  were  striiL'L'nii<''  eaijerK'  throiu'h  the 
deep,  hi;avy  snow. 

Never  was  nieetiniL^  more  effective  or  uni(iiie.  One 
month  to  a  thiy  before,  the  I\ih\  with  Professor  Heil- 
prin  on  l)oard.  turnt'd  her  j)row  northward  from  the 
harbour  of  St.  John's,  and  ever  since  had  Ix^en  steaminij^ 
northward  throuL^h  the  bhie  waves.     One  month  to  a 


f: 


:«iilSa.a 


THE  "KITE"  FLOATING  SNUGLY  AT  ANCHOR. 

day  before,  Astriip  and  myself  turned  our  faces  south- 
ward Trom  Musk-Ox  Valley  on  the  strani^e  northern 
shore,  and  ever  since  had  been  marchins^  southwartl 
over  the  frozen  waves  of  the  ice-cap.  Now  we  had 
met  on  this  L,^reat  ice  desert,  almost  out  of  sij^dit  of 
land,  in  the  brilliant  lit^ht  of  the  midnight  sun,  and 
the  courses  that  each  party  was  takimr  were  such  that 
had  we  been  blindfolded  we  should  have  run  into  each 
other's  arms. 

Professor  Heilprin  and  his  party  turned  back  im- 
mediately, and,  chattiuij;^  with  various  members  of  the 
party,  the  time  Hew^  rapidly  as  we  covered  the  ten 
mi^es  between  us  and  the  bay.  About  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  I  stood  again  on  the  crest  of  the  bluff 
up  which  I  had  backed   my  sledges  more  than  three 


I 


-,S2 


Northward  over  the  "  (jrcat  Ice" 


nioiulis  Ix'forc,  and  looked  down  ii|)oii  the  i^rccn.  ice- 
l)('rL(-d()ttcd  waters  of  McC(jrniick  I>a)-.  with  the  little 
Kite  tloatinjj^  snuL;ly  at  anchor  at  my  hu't.  Never  did 
fairer  summer  vision  Li^reet  human  eyes.  An  hour 
later  and  I  stepped  on  l)oard  the  Kite.  My  wife's 
^;lad  cry  of  welcome  sounded  in  my  ears.  The  lonstj 
White  March  was  ended. 


'  I 


\\ 


CHAPTI'K    Xl\' 


I'.dAi'   \(>v.\(,i;   INK)   i.\(,i.i;i  ii:i,i)  (iiij.. 


MKCTI.NC.  with  MV  i;,ivs  Al  RM)  Ci.III— DisIUK  IM  KwMIMv  XuKIII 
SlIORKS  <il  Cll.l  —  1  IIUKAII  mm;  WlAlTlKK— K  \  K\  All— Si  fll'Trkll  i  (.1.11  IS 
—  i!n\VlM)IN    1!.\V-     I'lNuKMnl   sCl  ,\,|i,KS  — A    M  .\(  ;NII  1(  !■  M    l'ANul<AM.\— M  KS. 

Pkary's  A'.//// //a, ///.///-An  .-/.\(),////./a-.s,/.///— 1!  \(  k  to  Ukd  c'mit. 


:*;     i 


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CHAPTER  XIV. 


ji 


BOA' 


vovAfiK  IX TO  i\(;i.i;iii:r,i)   (;l'lf. 


TWO  days  after  my 
return  from  the 
ice-cai),  the  Kifc 
steamed  down  the  I)a\-. 
and  we  hmded  tiirouifh 
the  surf  in  a  sheltered 
cove  about  a  mihi  helow^ 
RedChff.  As  Mrs.  Peary, 
Astriip,  and  myself  came 
up  the  heacli.  we  met  first, 
my  hoys,  X'erhoeff,  Dr. 
Cook.     Ciihson, 


riio"Hed 


bare-headed,  sun-burned;  then,  a  h'ttle  farther'"the 
native  continoent  of  Red  Chff  stanch'uM-  in  wide-c\ctl 
wonder  to  see  the  kapitansoak  return  frcun  tlic  "  ( ireat 
Ice."  Never  ch'tl  the  costhest  and  most  hixurious  home 
appear  more  deh--htful  to  the  eves  of  a  returning- 
traveller  th  ui  the  little  ;  bv  1 2  state-room  at  R<-d 
C-hft.  to  which  Mrs.  Pcarv  had  -ivcn  the  imposing- 
name  of  "  the  south  parlor." 

My  sledoe  j,,urne>-  round  In-lcridd  C.ulf  just  1,,.. 
fore  starting-  upon  the  ice-cap  had  ac(|uaini(-d  me  onlv 
with  the  southern  shores.  Rou-h  icr  antl  dccplv 
drifted  snow  had  rendered  the:  northern  shore  im- 
practical)le. 


.I'"*: 


i 


J  * 


o 


a 
J 
o 

2 

Q 
Z 

D 
O 

< 
5 

H 
H 

< 
o 

m 


•' 


i^i 


Boat  Voyage  into  Inglcfickl  Gulf       3^7 

It  was  now  cdrl)'  in  the  season,  there  was  no  special 
haste  forlhe/vV/t'  to  turn  her  how  southward,  anil  the 
opportunity  to  examine  the  unknown  antl  attractive 
shores  seemed  a  fax'ourahle  one.  Then.  too.  a  summer 
boat  vova^'e  offered  sonK'thiu''-  in  the  nature  of  a  picnic 
for  Mrs.  Pear\-  and  m\seH'  after  our  lon^;-  separation, 
an  outing-  which  should  he  free  of  the  rush  and  hurry 
of  preparation,  as  of  responsibihty  or  anxiety  in  rei^ard 


\'erli()flf. 


Dr.  Cook. 


(iilison. 


"WE  MET  MY  BOYS.' 


to  the  future.  It  was  therefore  with  much  of  the 
feehin^-  of  a  school-boy  starting'  for  a  week's  picnic 
in  the  woods,  that  I  startt.'d  from  Red  Cliff  at  noon 
on  Au_ij;"ust  Qth  in  my  lightest  whale-boat,  the  J/ciry 
Pcarw  manned  by  five  of  my  faithbd  I^skimos,  Ko- 
monahpik,  Merktoshar,  In^'Topahdu  or  "  bVeckles," 
his  son  Pooadloonah,  and  I\ooiof>LinLj;-wah,  with  Matt 
as  coxswain,  and  Mrs.  Peary  beside  me  in  the  stern- 
sheets. 


h 


> 


1 


\ 


;88 


Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


'r, 


(1  I 
I ,  .1 


?« 


[he.  \v(!ath(jr  was  not  particularly  auspicious  ;  it  had 
b(jc;n  blowinLT  with  a  ijfreat  deal  of  freshness  ever  since 
my  return  from  the  ice-cap  the  nii^ht  of  the  6th.  and 
now  ominously  heavy  storm  clouds  hun<^  over  the 
entire  region  ;  yet  this  was  too  slii^ht  a  thini^-  to  in- 
terf(^re  with  our  proj^osed  journey.  Rounding-  the 
massive  reddish-^j^rey  bastion  of  Cape  Cleveland,  the 
bow    of    the  Mary  Peary  was    headed  eastward  up 


CAPE  CLliVELAND. 
'lypical  r.i.->ti'>!'  ll.ulland. 

the  i;'ulf,  and  sw(;pt  rai)idl\'  past  the  sliores  of  the 
south  side  of  Iveil-Cliff  Peninsula.  A  {v\\  miU^s  above 
Cape  CU'veland,  we  passed  the  dazzling-  mass  of  the 
Vixn  Cilacier,  with  its  almost  malhcmaticalU'  perfect 
semicircular  face,  and  e(|ual]y  mathematically  pv-r- 
fect  semicircular  delta  in  Iront,  brom  here  on  to 
Karnah — Cape  Ackland.  as  well  as  it  is  j)()ssible  to 
identif)-  it  on  the  charts. — tlu'  south  coast  of  Retl-Cliff 
Peninsula  is  made  ii|)  ot    a  succession   of  semicircular 


I'll* 


Boat  Voyage  into  In^lcficld  (iulf       389 

deltas,  pushed  out  from  the  shore  in  front  of  a  series 
of  han_L,nnL;  i;laciers.  and  fornied  by  the  tlebris  brought 
down   by  the  rushing'  currents  frori  tliese  L^hiciers  in 


FAN  GLACIER. 


early  summer.  So  strikingly  regular  is  the  conLour 
of  these  deltas,  that  the  Eskimos  have  gi\(;n  to  the-m 
a  name  which  means  eyebrow. 


KARNAH    ^1  ACIER. 

Typical  Cilacicr  ami  Delta,  Smuluii!  >lii.i-c  <<i  Rcd-t  li!f  iViiin-ula, 

Back    of  these  deltas  ancl    a   low   fore-shore  which 
connects  them,  rises  a  series  of  ratiier  roiling  summits, 


« 


1 


i 


':4 


f  '  !i 


■■I 


r 
ft, 


390        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

down  the  ra\incs  hL'twccn  which  protrutlc  hanging 
glaciers,  toiiL^iK^s  of  iIk.-  ciMitral  ice-cap  of  the  i)eninsuhi. 
The  (hiy,  in  spile:  of  the  portent  of  the  thirk  ch)uds 
overhead,  was  not  disa^reeahU; ;  L;'ulf  and  sound  were 
free  of  sheet-ice,  only  occasional  herd's  antl  frai^ments 
of  heri^s  hrcakinL;'  the  evenness  of  th(.'  waves  which 
ruffled  the  surface  of  the  waiter,  and  to  me,  who  had 
seen  little  of  the  countrv  duriuLT  tiic;  i)re\-i()us  sum- 
mer,   and   who  for  the  immediately   precediuL;  three 


KARNAH. 


months  had  se(;n  nothin*/  but  the  blindino-  ijlart;  of 
the  "  Great  Ice,"  the  weather,  the  water,  the  warmth  of 
colourins^  of  the  shores,  barren  as  th(.'y  were,  seemed 
almost  tropical.  Numerous  frai^nients  of  disrupted 
berLi's,  Lirounded  alon^-  the  beach  1)\-  the  fallinLT  tide, 
looked  from  the  boat  almost  like  tlocks  of  jj^razins^^ 
sheep. 

At   Karnah,  the  shore  forms  an  an^ie,  a  noisy  gla- 
cial river  comes  bountlino-  down  from  the  rocks,  and 


Boat  Voyai^c  into  Ini^lcficld  dulf       391 


east  of  it  the  character  of  the  shore  cliani^es  com- 
pletrly.  The  deltas,  the  low  fore-shore,  and  the  roll- 
ing mountains  L^ive  place  to  a  line  of  majestic  santl- 
stone  cliffs  which  rise  sheer  from  the  water. 

It  was  now  late  in  the  evening',  and  landinL^'  at  the 
point  we  pitched 
our  tent  within 
the  clamour  of 
the  glacial  ri\  er, 
and  prepared  for 
our  first  night's 
outiui^.  I'rom 
this  K  a  r  n  a  h 
point,  the  pro- 
file of  the  cliffs 
aire  a  d  y  men- 
tioniM.1,  with  the 
distant  u  p  p  (,- r 
shores  of  the 
Lj;ulf  app(;arin_t^ 
just  ))ast  their 
base,  is  one  of 
strikini;'  hold- 
n(;ss.  Lulled  hy 
the  rusliiuL;"  .gla- 
cial strc^am.  we 
slept  soundly, 
waklui^-  several 
hours  later  to 
find  our  wcndd 
covt;red   with   a 

lii^ht  mantle  of  newly  fallen  snow.  This  snow 
appeared  as  the  sun  swuul;  upward  from  the  cast,  and 
launchinij^  the  .Mary  /Vary,  we  |)ullcd  out  under  the 
L^reat  cliffs,  amoni;'  a  lal)\i'inlh  ol  her^s  and  her^-  fra_n"- 
ments.      All  the  forenoon  we  crept  aloni;    und('r  the 


A  TITAN  WATCH-TOWER. 


(US- 


t 


III 


!   ' 


392        Northward  o\'cr  the  "Great  Ice" 

iniL;lu\-  raniparls,  in  one  place  a  1  ilaii  walch-toufr,  in 
another  a  L;iant  amphitheatre;,  licrc  a  niche,  there  a 
l)asti()n,  and  hetween  and  over  them  L^roiiped  rows 
of  pinnacles  which  re(|iiired  hut  little  imaL^ination  to 
transform  into  statues.  So  striking'  is  the  resem- 
blance of  thes(.'  pinnacles  to  the  human  form,  that  it 
has  appealed  e\en  to  the  rather  unimaL;inativ(i  sense 
of  th(;  Eskimos,  and  the  cliffs  ar(;  known  to  th(.'m  as 
the  Statue  Cliffs.      In  numerous  places,  silver  threads 


r 

r 

■■% 

1 

0 

,ggP<f. 

'     ■— — 3!?- 

4 

i 

1 

m 

'^^^ 

lb 

.- 

,  _ii. 

s 

1 

SOUTH  GLACIER. 

Bowdoin  l!ay. 

of  cascades  flow  down  the  cliffs  from  the  edjj^e  of  the 
ice-cap  far  above. 

Much  of  this  time  it  was  raininjj^,  and  as  we  rounded 
the  point  that  ends  this  striking- feature,  which  I  called 
the  Sculpturetl  Cliffs  of  Karnah,  and  entered  a  little 
cove  curxino-  in  to  the  face  of  a  olacier,  we  were  only 
too  delighted  to  see  several  deer  crossing'  the  slope. 
and  have  an  excuse  to  land  and  stretch  our  stiff  limbs 
in  an  effort  to  bai;  some  of  them.  Our  efforts,  how- 
ever, were  unsuccessful,  and  re-enterins^  the  boat,  we 
left  this  little  bay.  the  water  of  which  is  red  almost  as 


1-1  -■ 


Boat  Voyage  into  lni;lcficld  Gult"       393 

freshly  spilled  hlood,  from  the  tine  red  sandstone  silt 
brought  down  I)\-  the  sul)-L;lacial  streams  of  the  two 
_L,daciers  which  enter  it,  and  pulled  steadily  alon^'  close 
to  the  foot  of  the  hhiffs  which  form  the  western  shore 
of  the  northward-stretchiiiL;"  fjord  which  Ikwa  had 
drawn  for  mv.  tlurinLT  the  winter,  and  into  which  I 
had  looked  down  from  tlu:  ice-cap  a  week  before. 
]Y*n(;tratiniX  into  the  farthest  luvAc  of  the  head  of 


WEST  OR  GNOME  GLACIER. 
Bowdoin  Bay. 

this  fjord,  the  boat  was  beachetl  on  the  shore  of  a 
cove,  the  shallow  water  in  which  was  a  deep  red. 
The  head  of  this  cove  was  walled  by  a  hu^e  moraine 
thrown  up  by  a  glacier,  just  the  cxh^c  of  which  ap- 
peared over  the  top  of  the  moraine.  He)ond  that, 
an  isolated  mountain  of  strikinL,^  boldness  and  sharp- 
ness of  outline  jutted  into  the  air  apj)arently  some 
two  thousand  feet,  and  then,  from  its  base,  the  crys- 
tal wall   of  a  great  glacier  stretched  clear  across  the 


/ 


) 


394       Northward  over  the  "Great  lee 


opijositc  si(l<'  of  tile  l)ii\-  head.  'Ihis  glacier  I  named, 
in  lioiioiir  of  in\-  Alma  Mater,  l^owdoiii  ( dacicr,  and 
the  hay  I  called  i^)()\vdoin  I)a\'.  I  he  coxe  was  evi- 
denlK"  tile  favourite  rench^zNous,  or  f(;edinL;-,nroiind, 
of  the  kalikokiiih,  or  white  whales,  which  abound  in 
this  rcL^ion.  All  the  time  during;'  our  stay  at  this 
camp  their  pultuiL,^  could  i)e  heard,  and.  in  conse- 
quence, I  named  the  cove   Kahkoktah  Cove.      While 


VIEW  AT  HEAD  OF  BOWDOIN  BAY. 

liowiloin  tUacicr  iu  1  )i>t,incc. 

at  this  camp,  one  of  m\-  hunters  went  u[)  the  bluffs 
and  obtain(.;d  two  hne  deer,  and  from  this  camp,  also, 
X'crhoeff  left  us  on  his  proposed  trip  across  the  gla- 
cier, and  so  on  around  to  Red  Clili.  It  was  \w\  last 
si^ht  of  the  unfortunate  man. 

Next  noon,  in  a  continuance  of  rainy  weather,  I 
pushed  throuL;-h  th(^  area  of  L^iacier  tlebris  which  filled 
the  centre  of  the  l)a\-.  into  its  extreuK'  north-eastern 
corner,  to  a  little   cove  from  which   a   tin\-  valle}'  ran 


Boat  \'()va''c  luto  IiV'lcticKl  (iulf       395 


.>' 


iij)    iiiulcr  the   shculow  of  ;i  Ncrtical-faccd   mountain. 
Il  was  the  vci')'  place  down  into  which   I   had  looked, 


EAST  GLACIER. 

l?o\V(li)iu  l!ay. 


about  one  week  previous,  while  sweeping"  down  the  ic)- 
slopes  of  the  "(ireat  Ice"  to  the  head  of  McCormick 


CASTLE  CLIFFS. 
Wc^lL'rn  I'ciint  uf  Umvilnin  I'.av. 


l)ay,  and   had    thought,  at    that   time,  what   an   ideal 
sit('  for  an    arctic    house,  so  accessiiilc  and  sheltered. 


) 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  {MT-3) 


c-?, 


y. 


1.0 


I.I 


III  1.8 


1.25 

1.4       1.6 

—     = 

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6"     

► 

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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


^ 


[r 


.<$> 


39^       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice 


In  this  instance.-,  distance  did  not  lend  enchantment 
to  the  view,  and  I  found  the  i)hice  equally  as  attractive 
close  to,  as  my  fanc\-  had  pictured  it.  It  seemed,  in 
every  respect,  an  ideal  sit(.'  for  an  arctic  house.  Mow- 
ers and  i^rass  were  in  ahuntlanct,',  a  stream  close  by 
offered  an  ampU;  suppl\-  of  water,  and  th(,'  mountains 
about  c^ave  promise  of  complete'  protection  from  furi- 
ous winter  winds.      While   here,   Mrs.  Peary  was  for 


FACE  OF  HUBBARD  GLACIER. 


tunate  in  shootinj^  two  more  deer,  and  then,  after 
another  rainy  night,  we  pulled  out  alonL(  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  bay,  past  the  East  Glacier,  as  I  called 
it,  to  the  portal  of  the  ba)'.  a  mass  of  warm,  red-brown 
cliffs,  eroded  by  the  arctic  sculptors,  in  which  bastions, 
towers,  and  ramparts  were  so  strikino^ly  like  some  medi- 
aeval stronorholds  that  I  called  the  rocks  Castle  Cliffs. 
Rounding  these,  we   resumed  our  course  eastward 


Boat  \'oyagc  into  Inglcficld  Gulf       307 

up  the  gulf.  A  few  miles  abovi;  the  cliffs,  wv.  passed 
alonij;  the  face  of  the  Hubljard  Glacier,  which  readies 
the  waters  of  the  Sound  m  a  line  of  cr\stalline  blue 
ice-cliffs,  a  mile  or  more  in  length,  and  from  one  hun- 
dred to  one  hundred  and  tift)-  feet  in  height.  Hex ond 
the  glaci(.'r  gneissose  precii)ices  form  the  shore,  and, 
rounding  another  l)old  point,  we  looked  northwanl 
into  an  expansion  of  the  gulf,  rimmed  by  glistening 
glaciers,  separated  b\'  wild   and   towering  mountains. 


i 


MOUNT  ADAMS. 


Here,  for  the  first  time,  I  obtained  a  view  of  those 
striking  peaks  to  which  I  applied  the  names  of  Mounts 
Adams,  Daly,  and  Putnam.  Still  eastward  of  us  was 
a  striking  precipitous  island,  and  I  headed  the  boat 
for  it.  Arriving  at  its  southern  point,  I  scaled  the 
nearly  vertical  cliffs  to  an  elevation  of  some  fifteen 
hundred  feet,  from  which  point  of  vantage  I  could 
sweep  the  entire  circuit  of  Inglefield  (iulf.  Th(.'  out- 
look was  a  striking  one  ;  from  north-west  (true),  clear 


I    . 


39^        Northward  over  the  "  (jreat  Ice" 

around  to  south-cast  (true),  the  circuit  of  the  ^^uU  is 
an  ahnost  continuous  ^disteniu!:;  _L;;lacier  face.  Just  at 
the  water's  edsje,  this'  *dacier  face  is  interrupted  by 
several  precipitous-walled,  tlat-topped.  isolated  mount- 
ains, or  nunataks,  as  the  natives  call  them,  hut  he- 
hind  and  climbini^^  far  above  them  can  be  see-n  the 
mii^dity  slope  of  the  "Great  Ice,"  risinu;  to  the  infinite 
steel  bhu!  of  the  horizon  which  separates  sky  from 
snow  throui^diout  more  than  iSo".  North  and  west 
of  me  lay  the  indcMitation  which  I  afterwards  called 
Navy    Bay  ;    its   head    surrounded   by   several   small 


MOUNT  PUTNAM. 


thoui^h  strlkino-  crlaciers.  North-east,  east,  and  south- 
east, the  oiants  of  the  North-Greenland  ice-streams, 
the  Tracy,  Mehille,  and  Heilprin  Cdaciers,  swept 
down  in  frozen  rapids  and  cataracts  from  the  heart  of 
th(!  "  Great  Ice"  to  the  sea.  The  three  Arctic  oiants, 
I  )aly,  Adams,  and  Putnam,  with  the  astonishing;'  i^lacier 
panorama  extending-  from  them  entireh'  round  the  head 
of  the  i^'ulf,  and  the  oreat  saucer-shaped  depression  in 
the  ice-cap,  distinctly  perceptible  above  L^laciers  and 
nunataks,  till  it  reaches  the  steely  line  of  the  distant 
ice-cap  horizon,  jjresent  a  scene  which  in  i^randeur 
and  peculiarity  of  detail  can  be  duplicated,  I  believe, 
nowhere  else  upon  the  _L;lobe. 


Boat  Voyai;c  into  Inglctickl  Gulf       399 


I 


The  sik-nl  sweep  ol  that  enornious  ainpliitheatre 
in  the  ice-cap,  as  it  curves  down  to  the  miL;ht\'  portals 
of  the  n'R^at  ic(^-streanis,  is  something-  that  neither 
pen,  nor  brusli.  nor  music  could  ever  hope  to  express. 
The  wate-rs  of  the  L^'ulf  were  e\-er)-where  dotted  with 
the  countless  output  Iroiii  tiiese  enornious  glacier 
faces,  an  innumerable  tleet  of  iceberg's. 

Descen  Hng 
to  the;  boat, 
we  pulled  up 
along  the  west- 
ern shore  of 
this  island, 
a  n  d  a  s  \v  e 
a  d  v  a  n  c  e  d  I 
was  startled  to 
see  the  perfect 
profile  of  a 
Ufiant  stone 
face  carved  on 
the  western 
bluff  of  the 
island.  To 
this  striking- 
profile,  though 
bearded,  I  gave  the  name  of  the  Bronze  .Sphinx,  feeling 
that  perhaps  in  the  arctic  regions  it  would  be  permis- 
sible for  even  a  sphinx  to  indulge  in  a  beard.  Directly 
in  front  of  this  profile,  carved  in  the  everlasting  arctic 
rock,  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  of  the  glaciers  of  this 
region,  a  glacier  whose  picturesqueness  was  double'd  by 
the  peculiar  conditions  of  absolutely  mirror-like  water 
which  obtained  at  the  time  of  our  visit.  A  photograph 
shows  this  glacier  with  every  feature  duplicated  in  tlie 
water,  with  such  fidelity  and  s\mmetry  that  it  has 
brought  out  a  perfect  dorsal  view  of  a  lizard. 


THE  BRONZE  SPHINX. 


I'.i 


r  i 


'w 


ti 


400        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

l\illin_L;  alon«j^  the  shore  of  the  ishuul,  into  an  ant^le 
f^  ined  by  thecHffsof  the  island  on  one  side,  and  the 
chtfs  of  a_L;lacieron  the  other,  I  hmded,  tlioui^h  in  op- 
position to  the;  judL^nient  of  my  natives,  who  iiad  tlieir 
fears  in  rei^^ard  to  the  place,  on  account  of  the;  waves 
which  mii^ht  he  caused  by  the  birth  of  an  iceberg'  from 
the  glacier  close;  by.  and  encamped  for  our  next  night's 
outin^'  I  did  j)a\'  sufficient  attention  to  the  f(;ars  of 
m\-  natives  to  have;  them  haul  the  be)at  well  up  al)()ve 
the  hi<;he;st  hiL;h-\\ate;r  mark.  While  we  were  slee'p- 
ini^  here,  eine  of  my  own  hunte;rs,  Ke)edootino-wah, 
who    seemed    sleepless   and  tireless,  ciimbed    to    the 


HART  OR  LIZARD  GLACIER. 


crest  of  the  island,  anel  when  i  wakened  in  the  morn- 
inn',  he  j)r()uell\-  infe)rnu;el  me  that  he  hael  killed  four 
reineleer.  As  the  me)rninL;' L^ave  pre)mise  of  a  Li'limpse 
of  the;  sun,  which  thus  far  we  had  not  had  since;  we 
le-ft  Reel  Cliff.  I  started  for  the  summit  of  the  island 
immeeliately  after  breakfast,  in  the;  he)pes  of  jj^etting 
an  observation  and  a  rounel  of  anirles.  Inciele-ntallv, 
alse),  1  was  elesirous  of  se;einir  the  deer  which  mv 
hunter  hael  killeel.  Sure  enough,  I  fe)unel  them  with- 
in a  elistance  of  a  hunelred  yards  of  each  other,  where 
he  hael  crept  upon  them  anel  shot  them  while  sleep- 
ing,— four  magnificent  bucks. 


i 


Boat  Vovasjc  into  Iiv'lefickl  Ciulf       401 


"•.*-. 


."*>' 


While  the  view  Irom  Uu,'  south  eiul  of  this  ishind 
was  ahn  )st  all  water,  from  this  northern  or  inner  end 
th('  view  was  entirely  ice.  Here  the  fro/en  waves  of 
the  i/reat  j/laciers  heat  aLfainst  tlu;  foot  of  the  islanil 
cliffs.  Soni(?  of  the  ice-waves  of  one  of  these  Lflaciers — 
which  I  named  in  honour  of  that  splendid  \nij;  fellow, 
Melville — although  frozen  and  inimutahh;  as  marble, 
have  all  the  life  antl  action  of  Xiai^ara  Rapids.  On 
the  other  sitle  of  the  island,  the  lower  portion  of  the 
Tracy    Glacier  sweeps  away   towards   the   Smithson 


ICE-WAVKS  OF  THE  MELVILLE  GLACIER. 

Mountains,  cut  by  parallel  lines  of  huLj^e  crevasses 
which  stretch  away  mile  after  mile  into  the  distance, 
until  they  become  simply  wavin^j;-  lines,  faint  )'et  defi- 
nite as  those  from  a  graver's  tool.  The  orient  cliffs 
of  this  island  are  a  mass  of  rich  warm  colour.  Scat- 
tered over  its  summit  are  numerous  i^^reat  erratics, 
brought  here  at  a  time  when  the  ij^laciers  which  now 
flowed  hundreds  of  feet  below  me  swept,  perhaps, 
without  a  ripple  over  the  highest  peak. 

DescendiuLi'  to   the  camp,  I   found  my  b^skimos   in 
a  state  of  excitement,  a  school  of  kahlillozuah,  or  nar- 


402        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

whal,  havini;-  hccn  si^iUiHl  out  in  l!^.:  l)a\.  Iiiiincdi- 
alcly  lh(j  hoat  was  launched,  and  i^vcryone  climhiiiL; 
in  cxccpL  K()ni()nalii)ik,  who  l^'oI  into  his  ka\ak.  wt- 
started  out  in  pursuit.  With  a  httle  coacliin^  on  th(! 
part  of  m\'  crew,  we  succeeded  in  L^ettini;- near  enoui^h 
for  Mrs.  l\;ary  to  put  a  hullet  into  one  of  the  animals, 
and  then  a  dextrous  launch  of  the  harjjoon  1)\-  Ko- 
nionahpik  secureil  him  from  sinking-,  and  we  towed 
liini  hack  to  our  cam])  ami  pulled  him  hii^h  uj)  on  the 
rocks.     Then   for  the  first  time  we  «^azed   upon  the 


TRACY  GLACIER. 


Strange  peculiarities  of  this  orisji^inal  of  the  fabled 
unicorn.  It  took  mv  deft  natives  but  a  few  minutes 
to  skin  the  bio-  animal,  then.  i)ilinij;-  the  skin  and  some 
choice  cuts  of  meat  into  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  we 
resumed  our  voyai^e,  re-traversed  the  western  coast  of 
the  island  to  its  southern  point,  and  then  bore 
southward  directly  across  the  uulf  for  the  mouth  of 
Academy  Bay,  which  opened  black  and  unpromising 
beneath  a  canopy  of  leaden-coloured  clouds,  across  an 
apparently  impenetrable  mass  of  icebergs  and  ice. 
Threading  our  way  through  these,  and  having  a  bit  of 


Boat  Voyai^^c  into  Inij^lcficld  (lUlf       403 

fxcil<'nicnt  cluriiiL;-  a  li\(l\- s(|iiall  which  caught  us  in 
a  stretch  of  icc-frcc  water  and  wd  us  thorough!)' with 
tlu;  vicious  waves,  we  readied  and  entered  Acadenu' 
l)a\-.  Scarcelv  had  we  pulled  anv  distance  into  it.  hi'- 
fore  we  encountered  one  of  the  furious  summer  s(iuails, 
so  common  in  this  region,  hurtlini^'  out  of  the  l)ay 
with  a  fur\-  which  iletied  all  attemi)ts  to  make  head- 
way ai^^iinst  it.  As.  however,  we  had  hut  a  short  dis- 
tance to  iio  in  order  to  effect  a  landinL;  behind  a  little 


ORIENT  CLIFFS  OF  JOSEPHINE  PEARY  ISLAND. 

island,  w^e  succeeded,  by  keepinjj^  close  to  the  shore  and 
taking  advantat^^e  of  the  jji^usts,  in  reachini,^  the  desired 
spot.  Here  we  camped  for  one  wild  nii^ht,  expect- 
invr  every  moment  to  have  the  tent  torn  from  over 
our  heads,  althoui^h  it  was  weiij^hted  down  with  half  a 
ton  of  rocks ;  with  the  spray  which  broke  over  a 
barrier  of  icebersj^s  that  had  jammetl  ai^ainst  the  island, 
flying  over  us  ;  and  the  gusts  of  the  auoahtahsoah,  as 
the  natives  call  these  wild  storms,  howliuij:  down  the 


404        Northward  over  the  "  Great  lee 


1! 


bav  past  us  lil<(.'  an  aniiv  of  mad  demons.  In  the 
mornini^f  th(;  wind  had  siihsitU'd,  jet  never  have  I  seen 
such  s;iva_L,^e  sliapcs  and  masses  of  wicked  clouds, 
sliiftiuL^  and  hoihnL;-  in  an^ry  turmoil  just  above  the 
summits  of  th(;  black  cliffs  al)ove  us. 

I  did  not  care  to  risk  takini^"  the  boat  up  the  bay, 
so  climbed  aloni;  th(.'  shore  with  two  of  the;  I'^skimos 
to  a  point  where  1  could  commantl  its  head,  anil  there 


ERRATICS  ON  SUMMIT  OF  JOSEPHINE  PEARY  ISLAND. 

Mt.  Lcc  anil  Inland  Ice  in  l>istance. 

see  sweeping"  entirely  across  it,  from  vertical  cliff  to 
vertical  cliff,  the  j^listenino-  face  of  the  Leidy  Cdacier, 
and  beNond  that,  the  mighty  stream  of  tlie  j^iacier 
itself  tl()win«>"  down  betwecMi  raiiwd  nunataks  from  the 
heart  of  the  "Cireat  Ice."  The  water  was  likct  ink  as 
we  |)ulled  across  the  mouth  of  Academy  Ha)-  towards 
little  Ptarmii^an  Islantl,  on  which  we  had  rested  on  the 
sleds^e  journey  of  the  si)rinL:;',  and  I  k(.'i)t  an  anxious 
eye  out  for  more  squalls.     Just   inside  of  the  island 


*  V 


Boat  X'oyaj^^c  into  In^lchcUl  (iult'       405 

was  a  small  sclilcnitiu  of  j-.skinios.  and  laiitliiii^  to  loni- 
iminicalc  with  ihcin.  1  fouml  them  rcvcilinL^  in  \<ni- 
son  and  with  numbers  of  fresh  deerskins  in  their  tents, 
trophies  of  their  i)()\vs  and  arrows.  This  place  is  on 
lh»;  confines  of  the  great  deer  i>astures  ot  this  rej^ion. 


MRS.  PEARY  AND  HER  KAHLII.LOWAH. 

Stopping'  here  onl\'  an  hour  or  so  to  limlx-r  our- 
selves up.  and  tr)-  to  j^et  a  little  warmth  int(^  clothiuL;' 
which  had  been  saturated  almost  from  the  moment 
of  our  leavinj^  Red  Cliff,  we  a^ain  pulled  on  close  to 
the  shore  of  the  south  side  of  the  .i^adf.  \\\i  had  a 
hard  stru^'j^le  with  the  title,  which  runs  here  like 
a    mill-race,   sw^irlinij^    in    eddies  around  ev(,'ry   rocky 


4o6       Xortliuard  owv  tlu   "(ii\at  Ice" 


I 


•'  \ 


point.  N  ii^lu  ovcrlonls  Us  l)(l(»rc  ut  had  i^oiv  \  (i-\-  far. 
and  laiuliiv^  al  ihc  oiil)'  axailalilc  place  alonu;  scxcral 
miles  of  sliore.  we  made  our  preparaiions  for  tlic  iiiL;lu. 
I'rom  here  ih<'  next  da\  we  kept  on  tlown  the 
south  sliore  |)ast  the  face  of  the  llurlhurl  ("dacier. 
and  then  hore  straight  across  the  l^uH  for  Kai'nah. 
TIk  trip  across  was  une\-entful  ;  we  were  fortunately 
not  troubled  1)\  wind,  and  once  within  the  shelter  of 
the   iceher''    llotilla,  which   is  always  sweepiiiL:'  alonij 


LOOKING  OUT  OF  ACADEMY  BAY. 


the  Karnah  shore,  we  felt  safe.  Ao^ain  we  landed 
at  Karnah,  intending"  to  sj)end  the  nii^ht  there,  hut 
after  a  generous  repast  and  plenty  of  hot  tea.  we 
felt  so  much  refr.shetl  that  it  was  the  o|)inion  of 
everyone  we  shoidd  push  on  to  Red  Clift  without 
delay.  As  lon^'  as  ni)-  crew  felt  this  way,  I  was  only 
too  iihid,  and  hastih'  stcnvin*'-  our  thinn^s  in  the  Mar\ 
Peary  ai^ain,  we  pulled  off  from  the  beach  and  headed 
westward  for  Cape  Cleveland. 


Boat  X'oy.ii^c  into  liii^icficld  (lUlf       407 

W'licn  al)<)iit  halt-\va\'  on  oia  joiiriKv.  a  favoiiriii:^^ 
wind  sjjrani;'  up.  to  which  tlu;  Mary  /Viirv's  forc-^ail 
wa^  spread  and  sh  dashc(l  on  l>ra\»'Iy  hcforc  ii.  the 
wind  mcnasinL;  in  intcnsiiy  inilil.  as  \\r  n-achcd  Cipt* 
Clt'V(  land,  it  was  l)lowinLi  l\alf  a  L^^alc.  and  •r('(|uirt'd  a 
Liood  (leal  of  skill  on  Malt's  |)art  to  st«'cr  the  Mnry 
/\ary  clear  of  the  numerous  lumps  of  ice  which  la\' 
in  our  way.  as  she  swe|)t.  literally,  almost  like  an 
.irrow,   through   the  white-capped  waves.      RoundinLj 


THE  ICEBERG  BREAKWATER. 

the  point  of  Cape  Clexcland  with  a  rusli.  we  ran  into 
a  dead  calm,  hut  had  scarcel\-  ^ot  the  sail  rolled  up 
and  the  mast  unstepped  in  reatliuess  for  rowing;,  when 
I  saw  a  stpiall  comiiiL;  (low  n  McCoru'.ick  \\\\\  to  meet 
us  just  as  it  had  couk;  down  Acadenn  Ikix.  Hrin'^- 
intji"  the  hoat  close  into  the  shore,  we  met  the  s(|uall 
as  hest  we  couKl.  yet.  with  the  utmost  efforts  on  our 
part,  it  was  several  hours  before  we  sue.  .eded  in 
reachiiiL^  tht.-  sh(;lter  of  th(i  little  point,  less  than  two 


,    \, 


4o8       Northward  over  the  ''Great  Ice" 


;i 


W 


miles  from  the  cape,  and  there  beached  tlie  boat  and 
landed. 

Walkinij;^  up  the  shore  to  Red  Cliff  House,  we  saw 
the  A'/'/c  still  at  anchor  off  the  beach.  Sendinj^  word 
out  to  Professor  Heilprin  that  I  had  returned,  we 
were  only  too  «>lad  to  remove  our  saturated  clothing-, 
and  after  a  hot  meal,  turn  in  for  a  dry  night's  rest. 


LEIDY  GLACIER. 
Head  of  Academy  Bay. 

This  boat  voyage  of  something  like  a  week's  dura- 
tion was,  in  spite  of  the  hostility  of  the  weather,  a 
very  enjoyable  one,  and  the  variety  and  character  of 
the  scenery  observed  during  the  voyage  made  it  long 
to  be  remembered.  The  pictures  accompanying  this 
chapter  give  a  clear  and  consecutive  impression  of 
the  summer  aspect  and  beautiful  and  striking  features 
of  this  greatest  and  most  interesting  of  Greenland 
inlets. 


CHAPTER   XV. 


SEARCH    FOR    VERHOEFF,    AM)    HOMEWARD    VOYAGE. 


Vkriiokfk  Fails  to  Return— Skarch  Immi:i)iatf.i.v  Institi'ikd  ami 
Prosfxuikd  for  Six  Days  and  Nichts— Tracks  on  iiik  Gi.acif.r— X(, 
Hope— Farfwfi.i.  to  Red  Cliff— Ata.nkkekdi.uk-Gouhaab— St.  John's— 
Philadelphia. 


i     »| 

I     (I 

f 

I 


I  ■  1 


.,-^      If.' 


H 
< 

< 

I 


O 

u 


.,—         0l^m- 


CHAPTER    XV. 


SKARCU     FOR    VKKHOKFK,    AND    HOMEWARD    VOYAGE. 


I 


FOUXD  that  Gibson 
was  awav,  with  Mr. 
Br\ant  of  Professor 
Hcilprin's  party,  at  F"ive- 
Ghicier  Valley,  to  bring 
WThocft  home.  Gibson 
had  landed  N'erhoeff  at  the 
valley  a  few  days  after  he 
left  me  at  the  head  of 
Bowdoin  Bay,  to  enable 
him  to  make  an  overland 
trip  to  the  Plskimo  settle- 
ments in  Robertson  Bay,  and  was  to  l^o  after  him  at 
the  expiration  of  a  certain  time.  The  next  day  the 
boat  returned,  but  without  Verhoeft.  The  immediate 
inference  was  that  he  had  become  bewildered  and 
lost  somewhere  in  the  region  between  McCormick 
and  Robertson  Bays. 

The  work  of  packing  my  impedimenta  to  send  on 
board  the  A'//c  was  stopped  imnKxliately.  and  hastily 
fitting  the  Mary  Peary  with  supplies,  I  jumped  into 
her  with  Gibson  and  a  crew  of  my  best  Eskimos, 
and,  hoisting  sail,  sped  away  for  the  mouth  of  the  val- 
ley. The  Kifc  hoisted  anchor  and,  with  the  remaining 
natives  whom  I   had  sent  aboard,  steamed   away  to 

411 


I    1 


w 


u 


412       Northward  over  the  "  Orcat  Ice" 

RoljLTtson  Bay.  RcacliiiiLi;  the  moutli  of  tlio  valley, 
we  had  a  suhstantial  meal  all  around,  then  started  up 
the  valley  with  all  my  Eskimos,  after  havinj^  promised 
the  man  who  first  saw  Verhoeff  a  rifle  and  as  much 
ammunition  as  he  cared  for.  This  was  the  iSth. 
L)ei)loyini(  the  natives  in  a  line,  the  individuals  in 
which  were  sejxirated  by  less  than  one  hundred  feet, 
they  reached  clear  across  the  contracted  valley,  from 
cliff  to  cliff,  and  slowly  advanced  up  its  lenc^th,  shout- 
injr  and   discharirins^  ritles  at  rej^ular  intervals.     So 


"MANY  WERE  THE  INTERESTING  GROUPS.  " 

thorou<rh  and  minute  was  the  search  that,  on  the  way, 
we  found  a  handkerchief  and  a  knife,  which  had  been 
dropped  by  the  I' ive-Glacier- Valley  huntinj^-party  the 
previous  October.  No  sii^ns  of  Verhoeff  were  seen, 
however,  thoujrh  we  swept  the  valley  until  we  came 
out  on  the  crest  of  the  bluff  beyond  its  head,  looking 
down  into  Robertson  Bay. 

Returning  to  McComiick  Bay  on  the  21st,  I  found 
the  A'//i'  anchored  off  the  mouth  of  the  valley.  No 
trace  of  Verhoeff  had  been  foun.l  in  Robertson  Bay. 
I  detailed  four  or  five  of  the  best  Eskimos  to  Gibson, 


I 


Search  for  Vcrhoeff — Homeward  Voyage     4^3 

and  instructed  him  to  take  several  days'  supphes  and 
l)roceed  iij)  tlu;  valley  a^^ain  and  scour  the  re_L,non 
north  and  west  of  it.  clear  uj)  to  the  edij^e  of  the  i^reat 
L^lacier  which  Hows  tlown  into  the  head  of  Robertson 
Bay,  then  to  follow  down  the  sitle  of  the  j^lacier  to 
the  hay  itself.  With  the  rest  of  the  Eskimos  and 
my  whale-hoat,  I  started  aloiiLi'  the  shore  of  McCor- 
mick  Bay,  to  carefully  examine  every  foot  of  it,  clear 


MRS.  PEARY  DISTRIBUTING  HOUSEHOLD  UTENSILS. 

round  into  the  head  of  Robertson  liay,  where  I  would 
effect  a  junction  with  Cjibson.  \\u\  A'/A',  later  on, 
was  to  follow  me  into  Robertson  Bay.  The  most 
careful  examination  of  the  shore  disco\(_'red  not  the 
slitrhtest  trace  of  W'rhoeff.  Reach ini,^  the  head  of 
the  bay,  and  communicating'  with  (iibson,  who  had 
come  down  the  side  of  the  <j^lacier.  I  found  that  the 
natives  had  discovered   traces  of   the    missing;  man, — 


w 


<■ 


414       Northward  ()\cr  the  "(ircat  Ice" 


I 


fo()li)rints  alniiL;  tlu:  side  of  the  L;lacit.r.  IMckiiiij^  tliL'se 
u[),  wt;  iiniiUHliatcl)-  followed  thcin  up  on  to  the  jj^hicicr 
itself,  and  for  a  little  distance  on  its  surface,  when 
tiiey  disappeared  u\Hm  the  unyielding  surface  of  the 
ice.  I  then  diviilecl  ni\-  I'.skinios  into  thr(.'e  parties. 
'I'wo  of  the'S(.'  were  to  start  at  the  water's  ciIl^c-  and 
follow  each,  side  of  the  glacier  with  the  utmost  care,  to 
hnd  where  X'erhoeff  had  left  tlu'  glacier.  I'rofessor 
Heili)rin,  with  his  party,  and  1,  with  two  ol  tht;  b(;st 
trailers  in   the  entirt:   tribe,  quartered   the   surface  of 


PRICELESS  TREASURES  FROM  PHILADELPHIA  FRIENDS. 

the  glacier  itself  in  every  direction,  to  see  if  we  could 
find  any  more  tracks.  Our  utmost  efforts  were  un- 
availing-, although  the  tracks  were  distinct,  passing  up 
on  to  the  glacier.  At  no  place  in  the  entire  periphery 
of  the  great  ice-stream  was  there  any  track  or  trace  of 
a  man  having  left  the  glacier.  The  inference  w^as  un- 
avoidable :  Wirhoeff,  crossing  the  glacier,  in  thick 
weather  perhaps,  had  slipped  and  fallen  into  one  of 
innumerable  vawning  crevasses.  The  accident  w^as 
the  same  as  those  which  occur  almost  annually  in  the 
glaciers  of  the  Alps.      The  great  ice-stream  where  he 


Scrch  for  V'crhocff — Iloiiicwartl  Voyage     4' 5 

met    his     untinu'ly    end    hears    now     tlic     name     of 
Verhoeff.' 

It  is  needless  to  say  tliat  tliis  accident  cast  tlie  deep- 


FAREWELL  TO  OUR  GREENLAND  HOME. 

est  gloom  upon  every  memljer  of  hoth  j^arties  ;  it  was 
so  sudden,   so  unexpected,   hke  a  tlash  of  hghtning 

'  This  search  for  X'erhoeff,  jirosccuted  for  six  days  and  niglits  by  ail  the 
meml)ers  of  my  ])aity  and  Professor  Heilprin'^,  tiie  Ki/r's  crew,  and  nine 
Eslvimos,  tlie  latter  excited  to  the  ntmo^t  by  the  ]iriiniise  <>'  a  ritle  and  a  hox 
of  ammunition  to  the  first  who  saw  \'erhoeff,  was  discontinued  only  when  it 
was  the  conviction  of  everyone  that  there  was  no  longer  aii)'  }.^round  for  hope. 


\l 


4i6       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

from  a  clear  sky.  occiirritiL,^  as  it  did  in  the  heiijht  of 
the  summer,  after  all  the  possibilities  of  the  winter  and 
of  the  ice-cap  work  had  been  surmount(;d  without  the 
least  accident.      I  could  think  of   nothinir  else  as  the 


THE  GIANT  OF  ATANEKERDLUK. 
Weathered  Pinnacle  of  a  Trap  Dyke. 


Kite,  on  the  2  ;th,  after  six  days  of  unremitting  search, 
slowly  swung  out  of  Robertson  Bay  on  her  way  back 
to  Red  Cliff.  I  still  clung  to  the  hope  that  possibly 
Verhoeff  might  still  be  alive,  and  on  this  possibility  I 


Search  for  Vcrhocft* — Homeward  Voyage     4^7 

landed  at  Cape  Robertson  ample  i)rovisi()ns  for  one 
man  for  more  than  a  year,  and  I  impn-ssed  upon  the 
natives  that  they  were  to  make  every  effort  to  find 
X'erhoeff.  and  if  at  anv  time  h<-  sliouhl  come  into  any 
of  their  settlements,  they  were  to  take  the  utmost 
care  of  him,  as  they  would  of  me.  and  that  when  I  re- 


VERDANT  RAVINE  AT  ATANEKERDLUK. 

turned  the  following-  summer,  as  I   intended  to  do,  I 
should  reward  them  beyond  their  wildest  dreams. 

Arriving-  at  Red  ClitT.  I  broke  the  sad  m-\\s  of  the 
results  of  our  search  to  Mrs.  i'cary.  and  then  with 
heavy  heart  completed  tlu;  work  of  i)ackinL;-  my  speci- 
mens and  remainin;^^  material  to  send  on  board  th(; 
ship.  The  weather,  which  durini;-  our  search  for  \'er- 
hoeff  had  been  of  the  most  ilisai^reeable  nature,  snow 
falling  every  nii,dit,  chan^^ed    now  and  j^ave   us  one  or 

27 


41^       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


two  i)('rfi'cl  tlays,  Tlu-  waniuh  and  li.L^^it  upon  tlic 
bt'acli  aloiiLi  Kcd  Cliff  were  ahiiost  tropical  in  their  char- 
acter. Man\-  were  tlu;  iiUcrt'StiiiL:  LTroups.  yet  I  had 
little  heart  for  them.  Mrs.  Peary  distrihiited  the 
household  utensils  to  the  deliL;hted  women  of  the 
villaLi'e,  and  then  both  men  and  women  were  assem- 
bled in  line  upon  the  beach,  and  e\{'r\thinL,^  that  I  did 

not  can;   to   take   home 


wi 


th 


me  LHven 


to  th 


em. 


together  with  untold 
wealth  sent  them  by  kind 
friends  of  tlu;  expedition 
in  Philadelphia,  in  the 
shape  of  wood,  knives, 
iron  kettles,  etc. — treas- 
ures priceless  to  the  Es- 
kimo mind. 

Then,  at  tlu;  last  mo- 
ment, Mrs.  l\ary  and  I 
stepped  from  tlu;  door 
of  our  little  room  out- 
side the  now  dismantled 
house;,  and  said  farewell 
to  our  first  Greenland 
home.  An  hour  or  two 
later,  the  Kites  propeller 
was  driviuL;  her  out  of 
McCormick  Pay  just  as 
it  had  driven  her  a  little  more  than  a  year  ajro,  only 
now  there  were  Init  the  ori^i,nnal  inhabitants  of  the 
country  left  upon  the  shore. 

Steaming;  southward  throuo^h  several  uneventful 
days,  our  first  stop  was  made  at  the  fossil-beds  of 
Atanekerdluk  in  the  Wai^^att.  Here  a  perfect  sum- 
mer day  was  put  in,  and  the  oeoloirical  members  of 
Professor  Heilprin's  Expedition  delved  for  the  fossils 


THE  PROFESSOR. 


Search  for  V'crhocff — Ilonicward  XOvaiJc     419 


,*> 


J 


with  whicli  the;  locahty  is  rich,  while  Mrs.  Pcarx-  and 
myself  wandered  Hke  cliildreii  out  of  selinol  u|)  tin- 
grassy  and  mossy  ra\ines  and  across  the  warm-hiied 
slopes.  All  were  satisfied  with  the  call  here — the 
Professor  and  his  part)-  with  their  fossils.  Mrs.  Peary 
and  myself  with  our  run  ashore. 

A   brief    stop  was    made  at    Godhavn,    to   tell  our 


GODHAAB. 


friends  there  of  our  fortunes  and  successes,  then  the 
A'//i'  steamed  away  for  the  other  (ireenland  caj)ital, 
Godhaab  of  the  Southern  Inspectorate.  Ihis  place 
seemed  (juite  like  a  metropolis  as  compared  with  God- 
havn. It  has  (juitc;  a  pretentious  chaj)el,  and  a  short 
distance  away  is  the  Ioul^,  low  building'  of  the  old 
Moravian  Mission  establishment.  W't;  made  many 
pleasant  acquaintances  here,  amouL^  them  white-haired 


\r 


420       Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

Inspector  I'tiU'kcr  aiid  his  wife,  with  their  pleasant* 
faced  yoniit^^  daughter,  who,  in  lier  seventeen  \'ears  of 
hfe.  has  never  l)e«n  out  of  (ireenland.  W  liile  lien.', 
too.  some  of  the  kayakers  of  the  place  treated  us  to 
an  exhibition  of  the  characteristic  atpiatic  feats  of 
these  South-Circ'tinland  amphibious  hunters, — jump- 
inL(   on(!    canoe   over    the   other,   turninj^^   somersault 


CHAPEL  AT  GODHAAB. 


after  somersault  in  the  water,  etc.  Returninir  to  the 
ship  after  an  eveninij^  spt'Ut  at  the  Insj)ector's  house, 
it  suddenly  struck  mr  as  I  looked  across  the  harbour, 
picturescjue  in  its  ni^ht  shadows,  that  we  were  really 
approaching'  God's  country  once  more.  We  actually 
had  a  civilised  niuht  and  chiy  now. 

Leaving-     Godliaab,     fresh     northerly    and     north- 
westerly winds  kept  the  little  A'//r  heelinjj^,  every  sail 


mm 


■WW 


Search  for  VcThocff — I  lonuward  X'ovairc     421 


.■^ 


swelling;  like  a  l)all()()ii.  aiul   the  foaniiiiL,^  sj)ray  driv- 
in<;  from  lur  sturdy  little  prow,  day  after  da),  iiiuil 


MORAVIAN   MISSION. 


at   last   wc    made   tlu;   harbour  of    St.   John's,    Ncw- 
foundlaiul. 

HiitcrinL^  the  Narrows,  a  cry  of  surprise  and   as- 


m^,-ZJt^-S»' 


"  ■■•      -  "^ul*  -Cl      -     ^^  ^^       ^-  ^"f 


SOMERSAULT  IN   KAYAK. 


tonishment  burst  from  the  meml)ers  of  tlu?  shii)'scre\v 
The  town  which  we  hatl  left  a  little  more  than  a  )(.-ar 


I) 


422       Northward  over  the  "  ( jrcat  Ice" 

cii^o  c'xist(.'il  no  loiiL^cr,  — only  a  stretch  of  ij^aunt,  l)lack 
ruins.  A  few  wct-ks  after  the  Kite  liad  left  it  on  her 
uj)\var(l  vo)an(',  fire  had  swept  the  place  completely. 
I'Ortunately  it  had  not  touched  the  residence  of  the 
jrenial  and  hospitable  owner  of  the  Kite,  luiL;ar  l^owr- 
inL(,  and  with  him  and  his  charminij^  wife?  ^Irs.  IV.-ary 
and  myself  were  domiciled  durini^''  our  short  stay  in 
St,  John's,  whi'tj  th(;  Kite  took  on  more  coal  for  her 
voyai^^e  to  Phihuleli)hia. 

From  St.  John's  to  Phihulelphia  \\\v.  v())a^-e  was  un- 


fe^'" 


•i,^ .  -• 


JUMPING  ONE  KAYAK  OVER   ANOTriER. 

eventful  and  monotonous,  head-winds  hoklin;^  us  hack. 
At  last,  however,  we  passed  the  Delaware  Hreak- 
w^ater,  and,  a  short  distance  below  Philadelphia,  saw 
the  tULT  chartered  bv  our  friends  comino-  down  the 
river  to  meet  us.  Soon  they  were  on  board,  our 
story  was  told,  and  the  North-Cireenland  Exjjedition 
of  i8gi  and  i^q2  was  at  an  end. 

An  aftc;rmath  of  this  was  the  overllowini^  recej)- 
tion  at  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  when  our 
numerous  friends  and  well-wishers  in  and  about 
IMiiladelphia    had    the    opportunity    of    meetin^^    the 


rmmmmm*i>    ^^»^^<mmimmmmmmmmmi ' LiMfiKi..,. 


Search  for  Vcrhocff — Honicw.'irel  Voyai^^c     423 

rL'turninj4'  nu'nil)iTs  ol  tlic  i'\i)i'iliti()ii,  and  tliscox- 
en^il,  imicli  to  tlu;  surprise  of  man)-,  that  men  and 
itvvn  women  coukl  live  for  a  year  or  so  in  (Green- 
land, and  return  not  only  alive,  hut  in  entirel\-  normal 
condition. 

The  elimination  of  the  work  of  an\-  member  of  my 
party  would  have  detracted  very  larL^ely  from  the  suc- 
cess of  the  ex[)edition. 


THE  HARBOUR  PICTURESQUE  IN  NIGHT  SHADOWS. 

To  Dr.  Cook's  care  maybe  attributed  the  almost 
complete;  exemption  of  tht-  part\-  from  even  the 
mikU;st  indisposition:^,  and  pt^rsonalK'  1  (nve  much  to 
his  professional  skill,  and  unruttled  |)ati<'nc(;  and  cool- 
ness in  an  emeri^encw  In  addition  to  his  work  in  his 
special  ethnological  field,  in  which  he  has  obtained  a 
larire   mass   of  most   valuable    material   concerniui'"  a 


4-4        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


Vi; 


practicall}'  unstudied  tribe,  lie  was  always  helpful  and 
an  indefati_L;able  worker. 

Verhoeff,  besides  contributinij;-  oenerously  to  the 
expense  of  the  expedition,  was  devoted  to  his  meteoro- 
lot^ical  and  tidal  observations  and  matle  a  corr  !ete 
and  valuable  series  of  both. 

Gibson,  a  natural  hunter,  quick  with  rille  and  i^^un, 
in  addition  to  his  ornithological  work,  contributed 
more  lari^ely  than  any  other  member  of  the  party  to 
our  supply  of  game. 


FIRE-SWEPT  ST.  JOHN'S. 


Astriip,  a  yountr  Norweoian,  a  boy  in  years,  but  a 
man  in  grit  and  endurance,  was  one  among  a  thousand 
for  the  long  and  lonely  journey  during  which  he  was 
m\'  so\i2  companion. 

Henson,  my  faithful  coloured  boy,  a  hard  worker 
and  apt  at  anything,  being  in  turn  rook,  hunter,  dog 
driver,  housekeej)er.  and  body-guartl,  showed  himst;lf, 
in  powers  of  endurance  and  ability  to  withstand  cold, 
the  equal  of  others  in  the  party. 

My  acknowledgments  of  my  oljligations  to  the 
members  of  my  party  would  be  incomplete  without 


S^SJi-?*****! 


«WWill«"MiMMWPi 


mmfifiimfmi  iiii'wiiifiiiiwfpwiwpiww 


Search  for  Verhoeff — Homeward  Voyage     4-5 

reference  to  Mrs.  Peary.  Uutsicle  of  tlie  unspeakable 
comfort  of  her  soothing-  presence  in  the  time  \vh(,'n  at 
the  threslioltl  of  a  field  of  effort,  in  which  pure  brute 
physical  fitness  and  strenjj^th  are  a  s/fic'  qua  iioii,  I 
found  myself  a  helpless  cripple,  I  feel  that  I  speak 
without  prejudice  when   I   say  that  to  her  womanly 


SOUTHWARD   WITH    BELLYING   SAILS. 

presence  at  all  times  and  her  valuable  assistance  and 
suL:;_L;estions,  especialh'  in  rei^ard  to  our  clothing  out- 
fit, the  expedition  owes  much. 

The  experience  of  the  expedition  proved  conclu- 
sively to  me  the  correctness  of  my  theory  as  to  the 
quality   of    the    personnel    of    an    Arctic    expc-dition, 


ly 


'i!  ' 


I      1 


426       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

namely,  that   it  should  he  conijjosL'd  entirely  of  men 
of  )()uth,  perfect  health,  and  educated  intellitj^ence. 

Such  men,  imbued  with  an  interest  in  tlu;ir  work 
and  the  success  of  the  expedition,  ahU?  to  lift  th(;m- 
selves  beyond  the  gloom  and  inactivit)-  of  the  present, 


"OUR  FRIENDS  COMING  TO  MEET  US." 

with  plans  for  the  work  of  the  future,  and  possessin<r 
resources  within  themselves,  are  able  to  resist  in  a 
maximum  dei^ree  the  depressinu^  and  demoralising;- 
effect  of  the  lontr  winter  niLrht,  and  in  the  field  their 
ardour  and  e'/a/i  more  than  balance  their  inexperience 
or  lack  of  toui^hened  enduiance. 


I! 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

METEOROLOGICAL    \OTES 

FROM 

AUGUST,     189I,    TO    MARCH,     1892,     LN'CLUSIVE. 

nv 
John  M.  Verhoeff. 


./ 


.._U_-4    _U    !.'_ 


¥ 


VERHOEFF  AND  TIDE  GAUGE. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


M  KT  KO  RO  L(  )G  IC  A  L      NOT  ES- 


-VKRHOEFF.  ' 


August,  iSgi. 


t 


DURING  the  early 
part  of  AuLi^ust 
there  was  much 
rain,  but  later  the  weather 
became  much  better; 
however,  fogs  were  not 
infrequent. 

There  were  no  (Treat 
chanties  in  temperature, 
but  the  record  is  incom- 
plete, owing  to  my  ab- 
sence at  times  from  Red 
Cliff  House  and  to  other  causes. 

The  hours  for  making  meteorological  observations 
v^ere  seven  a.m  ,  two  i'.m.,  and  nine  p.m.     At  seven  a.m., 

'  These  notes  are  just  as  handed  to  me  hy  \'erhoeff  previous  to  my  departure 
on  tlie  ice-cap  niarcli. 

His  observations  for  April,  May,  June,  and  July,  1S92,  if  ever  summari> -d  by 
him,  were  never  tjiven  to  nie 

These  notes  jjjive  luit  little  idea  of  the  minute  and  voluminous  observations 
made  by  X'erhoeff,  ob^crvatinns  whicli  were  his  pride,  and  with  which  no  stress 
of  weather  was  e\er  allowed  to  interfere. 

When  his  records  are  worked  up  by  an  e^■pert,  as  they  will  be,  they  will  form 
a  striking  niomunent  to  the  faithful,  conscientious  worker,  who  lost  his  younj; 
life  on  the  cruel  jj;lacier,  — a  monument  (jf  which  his  sorrowing  sister  and  his  other 
relatives  and  friends  may  well  be  proud. 

420 


430       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


V  ( 


1 


the  maximum  and  minimum  temperatures  for  the  pre- 
cedini^  t\venty-f(nir  hours  were  also  obtained. 

There    were    nineteen    days    on    which    three    oh- 
taken  ;   AuL-^ust    ;.  4,    5,   6,    7,   8,   9, 

b 


servations  were 


10,    1  I,   21,   22,  23,   24,   25,   26, 


ose  t 


lay 


'S,   29,   30  bemi^ 


th 

On  the 

I  2th,  iSth,  19th,  20th,  and  31st,  one  or  two  observa- 
tions were  tak'.-n.  If  we  count  in  these  five  davs,  the 
twenty-four  days  averai^e  37.84°,  thus  varyinjj^  less  than 
one-third  of  a  dei^ree  from  the  original  result.  If  one 
notes  the  fact  that,  of  the  remainin*;  seven  days,  only 
one,  the  i  7th,  was  in  the  latter  half  of  month,  the  con- 
clusion misj^ht  be  drawn  that,  if  these  days  could  be 
counted  in,  the  averai^e  would  be  hii^her. 

However,  I  do  not  think  that  those  days  cou:d  ma- 
terially alter  the  averaj^e,  certainly  not  over  one-half  a 
deL(ree. 

The  averai^e  of  the  nine  c  lys  noted  in  early  part  of 
month  is  T)7.T)T,°. 

The  averai^e  of  the  ten  days  noted  in  latter  half  of 
month  is  37.62°. 

While  on  a  trip  to  Hakluyt  and  Northumberland 
Islands,  Aus^ust  12-18,  the  hij^hest  temperature  noted 
was  48°  on  Hakluyt  Island,  AuLi;-ust  13,  at  two  p.m. 

Lowest  was  39°  on  Hakluyt  Island,  August  13,  at 
ten  P.M.,  and  August  14,  at  eight  a.m. 

There  was  no  maximum  or  minimum  thermometer 
used,  or  the  maximum  temperature  shown  would  doubt- 
less have  been  hi^rher  and  minimum  lower. 

Highest  temperature  during  August  at  Red  Cliff 
House  was  52°  on  the  19th,  as  shown  by  maximum 
thermometer  the  followiuLT  morninof  at  seven  a.m. 

On  the  20th,  22d,  and  23d,  the  temperature  rose  as 
high  as  50°. 

^  All  temperatures  are  given  in  degrees  Fahrenheit. 


mm 


iiigj 


Meteorological  Notes — V'crhoeft        43 ' 

The  lo\v(;st  temperature  was  29°,  as  shown  by  mini- 
mum thermometer  Aui^ust  28,  at  seven  a.m. 

The  reaclinLT  of  barometer  was  taken  since  August 
18,  after  return  from  Makiuyt  Island. 

Highest  noted  was  30.38  inches,  August  20,  at 
9.20  r.M. 

Lowest  noted  was  August  23,  at  seven  a.m.,  also 
August  24,  at  3.10  I'.M.  and  5.07  I'.m.,  29.825  inches. 

Average  temperature,  fresh  water  40";  sea  ;^y°, 

Scpteuibcr,  iSgi. 

Record  for  September  is  not  quite  complete  owing 
to  my  trips  from  Red  Cliff  House.  There  were  eight- 
een days  when  three  daily  observations  were  made. 
September  i,  2,  3,  12,  14,  15,  16,  19,  20.  21,  22,  24, 
25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  30  are  those  days,  and  average 
21.74°.  I  made  one  or  two  observations  September 
4,  II,  13,  17,  18,  and  23. 

From  the  4th  to  the  i  ith,  inclusive.  Matt,  our  negro 
cook,  was  alone  at  Red  Cliff  House,  and  at  seven  a.m. 
of  each  day  he  took  the  maximum  and  minimum 
temperatures  for  the  preceding  twenty-four  hours. 
By  taking  a  mean  of  these  temperatures,  with  the 
exception  of  one  day,  the  6th,  when  it  is  very  proba- 
ble he  made  a  mistake,  and  counting  in  the  days  when 
I  made  one  or  two  observations,  every  day  in  the 
month  except  two  can  be  counted. 

The  18th  is  the  second  day  elided,  because  of  my 
trip  to  the  boat  camp  at  south-eastern  corner  of  Mc- 
Cormick  Bay.  The  average  of  the  twenty-eight  days 
mentioned  is  23.28°,  being  thus  U°  above  the  average 
of  the  eighteen  days  when  three  observations  w(."re 
made.  The  rise  in  temperature  by  averaging  twenty- 
eight  days  is  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  of  the  ten 
days  added  seven  are  in  the  early  half  of  the  month. 


i 

I 


p,  ■>. 


I  i 


43-        Northward  over  the  ''Great  Ice" 

TIk.'  hiL^hcst  temperature  was  40",  Sei)tenil)er  i,  as 
shown  hy  iiiaximiim  thermometer,  Septemher  2,  at 
seven  a.m.  ;  the  maximum  probal)ly  (occurred  in  the 
early  afternoon. 

Lowest  temperature  was  S°,  on  the  mornin^r  of  Sep- 
temher 30,  at  5.20  A.M.,  as  sliown  by  minimum  ther- 
mometer. 

It  is  thus  seen  that  the  maximum  temperature  oc- 
curred on  the  first,  and  the  minimum  on  the  hist  day 
of  the  month. 

The  hiL,diest  harom-^ter  readinj^  was  30.32  inches, 
Septemher  19,  at  10.45  ^^•^'• 

The  lowest  barometer  reading  was  29.535  inches, 
September  29,  at  six  a.m. 

During  tlu;  month,  many  of  the  iceber^^s  had  left 
the  bay,  but  some  were  still  present  Septe'iiber  27, 
at  which  date  the  formation  of  new  ice  in  the  bay  was 
noticed. 

Octoba',  iSgi. 

The  record  for  October  is  practically  complete  as 
rei^ards  the  state  of  weather.  Thoujj^h  occasionally 
absent,  the  observations  were  taken,  leaving  no  gaps 
as  before. 

The  mean  daily  temperature  was  8.57°. 

The  highest  temperature  was  25°,  on  the  7th,  as 
shown  by  the  maximum  thermometer  on  the  7th,  at 
seven  a.m. 

The  low^est  temperature,  as  showm  by  the  minimum 
thermometer.  October  29,   at   seven  a.m.,  was  -  15^°. 

The  highest  barometer  reading  was  30.11  inches, 
on  the  28th. 

The  low^est  barometer  reading  was  29.37  inches,  on 
the  8th. 

Ice  in  the  bay  was  about  four  inches  thick  on  the  2d, 
and  about  seventeen  inches  thick  at  close  of  month. 


■•J    1,1    i"IV|ig 


Meteorological  Notes — V'erhoeff        433 

A'oz'cniih'r,  I  Si)  I. 

The  mean  daily  temperature  fo.'  November  was 
O.I  6°. 

The  maximum  temperature  was  30^°,  as  shown  by 
the  maximum  thermometer,  November  19,  at  nine  I'.m. 

On  this  chiy,  the  rise;  in  temperature  was  renu  "kabie 
and  sudden,  histini^  two  days. 

The  minimum  tempt:rature  was  -iS'j",  as  siiown 
by  the  minimum  thermometer,  November  27,  at  nine 
r.  M. 

The  blithest  barometer  readiuij^  was  30.32  inches, 
Novt  nber  9,  at  two  p.m.  and  nine;  i-.m. 

The  lowest  barometer  readinj^-,  also  the  lowest  to 
this  date,  was  29.16  inches,  November  19,  at  S(nen 
A.M.  and  two  I'.m. 

In  bej^inninjj;'  of  month  ice  in  ba)'  was  about  seven- 
teen inches  thick  (November  3).  At  close  of  month 
it  was  about  twenty-six  inches  thick  (November  30). 


D 


December,  iSgi. 
ecemoer,  unlike  the  precedinif  months  observed. 


ibei 


showed  sudden  chanL,^es  in  the  temperature. 

The   record  for  the   month   is  complete;  as   rei^ards 
temperature,  barometric   reatlini^s,  and   tidal   observa- 


tions. 
Th( 


e  mean  daily  tempcM'ature  was  -  14.09" 


The  hiL(hest  t(..'mp(M-ature  was  i6;|",  as  shown  by  the 


max  mum. 


th 


ermom 


eter,  Decemln-r  ;i,  at  nine  v 


M. 


he    I  ^th,    ^oth. 


Thermometer  was  above   zero   on   t 
and  31st. 

The   lowest   temperature    was  -31°,   as   shown    by 


mmimium 


th 


ermom 


et(T,  I  )('cember  2(S,  at  nine  p 


M. 


It  is  thus   seen    that,  unlike   the   precedi 


w^S  mon 


ths 


observed,  the  maxmium  and  mmmium   temperatures 

occurred  only  a  few,  in  fact  three,  days  apart. 

28 


f 


434        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

At  the  close  of  month  thiTc  was  a  sudden  rise  in 
tcniperature,  continiiinL,^  a  wliile  in  January. 

December  ;i  was  the  only  tla\'  of  montii  when 
thermometer  showed  a  t('m|)erature  above  zero  chiriiii^ 
the  entire  da)',  the  mean  temperature  for  tlie  day 
bein|L(  i  i.oS". 

Hi^liest  barometer  reachnL,''  was  30.06  inches, 
Ueceml)er  6,  at  seven  a.m. 

Lowest  barometer  readinj^,  and  also  lowest  noted 
duriuLj  the  year,  was  2S.97  inches,  December  19,  at 
6.04  A.M. 

Ice  in  !)ay  was  twenty-six  inches  thick  at  openinjtr 
of  month  (  December  i  ),  and  three  feet  tliick  at  cloisc 
of  year, 

y aintary,  iSg2. 

As  stated  in  notes  for  December,  January  com- 
menced with  a  warm  temperature,  9^°  at  12.01  a.m., 
accompanied  by  a  brisk  south-easterly  wind. 

The  mean  daily  tem[)erature  for  the  month  w^as 
-20.53°. 

The  maximum  temperature  was  32°,  as  shown  by 
maximum  thermometer  on  the  7th,  at  seven  a.m. 
and  nine  p.m. 

The  thermometer  showed  a  temperature  above  zero 
from   January  6,  at  nine   r.M.,  till  January  10,  at  four 

A.'M. 

The  hiu^hest  daily  mean  temperature  was  18.08°,  on 
the  9th. 

The  lowest  temperature  was-53f°,  as  shown  by 
minimum  thermometer  6882,  on  the  i8th,  at  nine  p.m., 
occurrinti^  after  two  p.m. 

The  low^est  daily  mean  temperature  was  —41.67° 
(per  6882),  the  same  day,  January  18. 

The  hijrhest  barometei  adingr,  30.55  inches,  was 
January  5,  at  2.02  p.m.  and  three  p.m. 


li 


Mctcoroloijical  Notes — Wrliocft'        435 


The?  lowest  baroiiurtiir  rcadinir,  2S. 99  inclus,  was 
January  26,  at  7.02  a.m. 

Ice  in  hay  was  tlircc  feet  tliick  at  Ixyinnini^f  of 
month,  and  al)oiit  four  feet  thick  at  ck)S(,',  ;*i('asurini( 
in  ticK;  liolc. 

I'lhitiiry,  /St^2. 

The  month  of  luhruary  show*,  il  even  s-n-atcr 
chaiiLj^i's  in  the  wcatht-r  and  ti-mpcraturt'  than  January. 

The  mean  daih'  ti-mperature  was  -  15.77". 

The  liii^hest  temperature;  was  41",  as  shown  hy  max- 
imum thermometer  on  th(.'  15th,  at  nine  I'.m. 

The  mean  temperature  of  the  15th  was  35.25". 

Th(;  time  of  the  rise  in  temperature  hei^an  I  ebruary 
14,  at  nine  r. m.,  temj)erature  then  heini;-  31". 

The  minimum  tliermometer  showed  a  minimum 
temoerature  of  31"  for  tlie  next  twenty-four  hours, 
endinjj^  l''ehruary  15,  at  nine  r. m. 

Temperature;  was  above  zero  on  the  14th,  15th, 
i6tii,  I  7th,  1 8th,  and  21st. 

The  minimum  temperature  durin^^  In^bruary  was 
-501°,  as  shown  b)-  minimum  thermometer  6882, 
February  12,  at  seven  a.m. 

The  lowest  mean  daily  temperature  was  -35.75°, 
on  the  I  ith. 

Lowest  barometer  readini^^  was  29.285  inches  on  the 
4th,  at  seven  a.m. 

Hiij^hest  barometer  readinij;'  was  30.525  Inches  on 
the  13th,  at  nine  I'.m. 

Ice  in  bay  was  t,."/  feet  thick  to  surface  of  water,  or 
about  4.2  feet  for  total  thickness,  at  close  of  month. 

March,  iSg2. 

The  month  of  March  was  our  coldest  month,  the 
mean  daily  temperature  bein;^-  -22.12°.      First  half  of 


^^  /\ 


'«j^*- 


•vmm 


F5HI? 


I 


436        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

month  was  the  colder.  The  mean  of  the  first  fifteen 
or  seventeen  thiys  was  -27.91°,  while  the  mean  of 
the  last  sixteen  clays  was  -  16.57°. 

Hii^hest  temperature  w^as  on  the  i  2th,  at  six  p.m.,  3°. 

The  mean  temperature  of  this  day,  hii^hest  of  the 
month,  was  -1.08°. 

Our  lowest  temperature  was  -50!°,  as  shown  by 
minimum  thermometer  on  the  6th,  at  seven  a.m. 

Thouij^h  our  minimum  temperature  of  the  winter  is 
claimed  by  January,  -  53f°,  March  can  claim  the 
minimum  mean  daily  temperature. 

The  mean  daily  temperature  of  the  6th  was  -45.25°, 
lower  than  that  of  January  18  by  3.58°. 

This  month  was  probably  an  averasj^e  winter  month, 
there  bein^'  no  very  hii^h  temperatures,  as  in  preced- 
ing^ two  months,  when  it  rose  to  freezinij;--point.  How- 
ever, there  was  a  storm  similar  to  that  of  F(;bruary 
15-16,  but  without  the  hit^h  temperature. 

The  March  storm  was  on  the  23d  and  24th.  The 
principal  features  were  a  powerful  south-east  j^ale, 
hazy  atmosphere,  sometimes  confinin^^  the  sij^ht  to  a 
hundred  yards  or  less,  snow  drifting-  at  times,  and  a 
swell  to  the  tide.  I  houL(h  a  very  pronounced  storm, 
in  no  feature  did  it  seem  to  surpass  that  in  T'eljruary. 
Harometer  not  remarkably  affected. 

The  averao;^e  barometric  hei^^ht  of  the  month  was 
29.884  inches. 

Greatest  height  was  30.21  inches  on  the  4th,  at  nine 
I'.M.,  and  the  lowest  was  29.46  inches  on  the  19th,  at 
seven  a.m. 

The  thickness  of  bay  ice  showed  no  perceptible 
chan<j;'e  during'  the  month. 

An  avera<^e  of  six  measurements  in  tide  hole  was 
3  ft.  8f  in.,  measuriuij;-  to  surface  of  water. 

However,  if  we  only  use  the  highest  measurement, 
the  thickness  can  be  called  four  feet. 


iB-  tian,  W(*'''iSi«ji  :-,i  Ju)t^i*lteiw««ft«*4; ;  s  Wis*-. ; 


Meteorological  Notes — Verhoeff        437 


RESUME. 


Month. 


Temperature. 


1891 


August, 
September, 
October, 
Novenil)er, 
December, 
January,    1892 
February,    " 
March, 


Max. 

MiN. 

29° 

Mkan. 

52° 

37.84 

40^ 

8° 

23. 28 

25" 

-'^K 

8.57 

3oi^ 

-18-1" 

0.16 

i6j° 

-31° 

-14.09 

?,2° 

-531° 

-20.53 

41^ 

-5or 

-15-77 

2," 

-5°!° 

—  22.12 

'  For  twenty-four  ilay.s. 


Baromeier. 


Max 


MlN. 


30.38 

29.825 

30.32 

29535 

30. 1 1 

2937 

30.32 

29.16 

30.06 

28.97 

30.55 

28.99 

30.525 

29.285 

30.21 

29.46 

9ttfMi 


i 


438       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


OBJECTS  AND  RESULTS  OF  '91-92  EXPEDITION. 

OBJECTS.' 

Determination  of  the  northern  limit  of  Greenland  over- 
land. 

The  possible  discovery  of  the  most  practicable  route  to  the 
Pole. 

The  stndy  of  the  Whale-Sound  Eskimos. 

The  securing  of  geographical  and  meteorological  data. 


RESULTS.' 

The  determination  of  the  nortJiern  extension  and  the  in- 
sularity of  Greenland,  and  the  delineation  of  the  northern 
extension  of  the  great  interior  ice-cap. 

The  discovery  of  detached  ice-free  land-masses  of  less  extent^ 
to  the  nortliicard. 

The  determination  of  the  rapid  convergence  of  the  Green- 
land shores  above  the  seventy-eighth  parallel. 

The  observation  of  the  relief  of  an  exceptionally  large  area 
of  the  Inland  lee. 

The  delineation  of  the  unktiozvn  shores  of  Ingle  fie  Id  Gulf, 
and  the  imperfectly  known  shores  of  Whale  and  Murchison 
Sounds. 

The  discovery  of  a  large  number  of  glaciers  of  the  first 
magnitude. 

The  first  complete  and  accurate  recorded  information  of  the 
peculiar  and  isolated  tribe  of  Arctic  Highlanders  (Dr.  Cook.) 

Complete  and  painstaking  meteorological  and  tidal  observ- 
ations (  Verhoeff). 

Sledge  journey,  ivhich  is  unique  in  respect  to  the  distance 
covered  by  tivo  men  ivithout  a  cache  from  beginning  to  end, 
and  in  respect  to  the  effectiveness  zvitJi  which  those  men  were 
able  to  handle  a  large  team  of  Eskimo  dogs. 

Corroboration  of  the  opinion  adi  .inced  that  the  Inland  Ice 
offered  an  ' '  imperial  highzuay. 

'  Original  project  presented  to  Philadelphia  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences 
and  American  Geographical  Society  in  iSgo. 
^  But/.  Am.  Geog.  Soc,  No.  4,  1892. 


PUBLISHERS'  NOTE. 

The  following  appendices  embody  in  outline 
sketches  in  popular  form  the  results  of  the  study, 
observation,  and  experience  of  Peary's  entire  Arctic 
life,  and  not  solely  of  the  expeditions  covered  by  the 
preceding  pages  of  this  volume. 

As  a  break  between  two  expeditions  occurs  here, 
and  as,  notwithstanding  condensation,  Parts  IIl.-v! 
of  the  work  necessarily  fill  many  more  pages  than 
those  devoted  to  Parts  I.  and  II.,  the  publishers  have, 
for  reasons  based  on  good  book-making,  prevailed 
upon  the  author  to  allow  these  valuable^  appendices 
to  appear  in  this  part  of  the  work  rather  than  at  the 
end  of  the  second  volume. 


439 


"'^'^SHBPPHBWSfe' 


APPENDIX  I 


(♦1 


AX    AKeriL'    OASIS. 


—Islands— (H.AciKRs—MnrMAiNs—I.F.itEUGs. 


.% 

i 

^HBf' 

« 

♦ 

1 

'  ^'9SM 

*ji 

t 

;•■,'■ 

11*  ^i^ 

t 

• 

li 

nxf^^^ 

% 

.0 

' 

t 

z 

D 
m 

H 

X 

o 
z 

Q 


o 

[I] 
a. 

o 


APPI'XDIX  I. 

AX    ARCTIC    OASIS — IIoMK    OF     IHK    MOSl'    NORTH  KRl.V 
KNOWN     I'Kol'l.K    ON     Till-:    CLolii;. 


T 


HERE  is  no  more 
intcrcstinj^  Arctic 
locality  than  the 
little  oasis  aloni;  the  west- 
ern coast  of  North  Green- 
land between  Melville  liay 
and  Kane  Basin.  The 
interest  of  the  locality  de- 
pends upon  several  cir- 
cumstances. It  lies  at  one 
of  the  gateways  to  the 
Polar  Sea  ;  its  western- 
most cape  is  one  of  the  Arctic  Pillars  of  Hc;rcules  which 
stand  ouard  across  Smith  Sound  ;  it  is  a  real  Arctic 
oasis,  its  abundance  of  ve^^^etable  and  animal  life 
bein^T  in  strikinL--  contrast  to  the  icv  wastes  of  Melville 
Bay  and  Kane  Basin  north  and  south  of  it,  and  to 
the  desolate  barren  shores  of  Ellesmere  Land  west- 
ward across  Smith  Sound.  It  is  also  one  of  the  earliest 
known  of  hi^rh  Arctic  rei^nons,  and  for  the  past  hundred 
years  has  been  the  principal  focus  of  Arctic  effort,  no 
few^er  than  six  expeditions  havinjj;"  wintered  within  itr 
limits.  And  tinallv  it  is  the  home  of  a  little  tribe  of 
Arctic  aborig-ines,  at  once  the  most  northerly  individu- 
als of  the  human  race,  one  of  the  smallest  in  number, 

443 


444        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

and  in  many  ways  the  most  interesting^,  of  aborij^nnal 
peoples. 

h^ii-lit  years  airo  I  selected  this  reirion  as  the  basis 
of  my  work  of  northern  exploration,  antl  since  that 
time  I  have  s|)ent  three  winters  and  portions  of  six 
summers  in  the  midst  of  its  savaLj^e,  maL^^nificent  sur- 
roundinjj^s,  and  amon^'  its  hajipy  human  children. 

This  Arctic  oasis  is  distant  three  thousand  miles 
from  New  York   City  as  a  steamer  would  ^o,  and 


CAPE  YORK. 


twenty-one  hundred  in  an  air-line  almost  due  north, 
and  is  situated  between  the  extreme  meridians  of  New 
York  Cit)' and  Halifax.  Lyino- as  it  does  six  hundred 
miles  within  the  Arctic  Circle,  half-way  between  the 
confines  and  the  heart  of  the  L,n-eat  polar  niirht,  the 
Arctic  Circle  and  the  Pole,  its  every  feature  and  con- 
dition is  so  difTerent  from  what  we  are  accustomed  to, 
that  I  have  no  doubt  many  an  intelliijrent  reader  will 
have  difficulty  in  forming  a  correct  conception  of  the 
country. 


f^ 


Appendix 


445 


Thou^;h  only  two  huiKlrcil  and  thirty-five  milt's  in 
Icn^^^th  from  north  to  south,  and  a  httlc  over  one  luni- 


THE  CRIMSON  CLIFFS. 


drcd  miles  wide,  conditions  are  so  different  and  peculiar 
in  this  rei^ion  of  rapidly  assembling  meritlians,  that  tlu? 


CONICAL  ROCK. 


sun  is  as  lonij^  in  traversing;  this  short  distance  as  he 
is  in  passiuLi^  from  Halifax  to  New  York. 


|i' 


T  -'iOf^i.vs^if^'r^'-^-vaTrtK:  j:,i^jwr.-3 


-" jy7Xi»*8*,<-, '  **"■■ 


44^        Northward  over  the  "(ireat  lee" 


The  jujrcat  Arctic  ni^lit  at  thu  soutlu-rn  cxtrtMiiity  of 
tlic  country  is  one  lumcL  jtl  and  three  days  lonj^,  while 
at  the  nortliern  point  it  is  one  lumdred  and  twcnty- 
thr(.'e. 

Comparatively  slii^ht  as  is  the;  difference  in  latlu.de 
between  the  northern  and  southern  limits  of  the  n,'L,non, 
the  winter  niL^dit  is  twcMity  days  lon<;er  at  the  former 
than  at  the  latter.     Takin*^-  the  mean  latitude,  it  may 


AKPANI  CLIFFS. 
Cllacier  and  Ice-Cap  in  Hackrround. 

be  said  that  for  one  hundred  and  ten  days  in  summer, 
the  sun  shines  continuously  throuij^hout  the  twent) -four 
hours  on  the  savaij^e  iJ-randeur  of  the  land  ;  and  that 
for  one  hundred  and  tt.n  days  in  winter  no  ray  of  li.Li^ht 
except  those  from  the  icy  stars  and  the  dead  moon 
falls  on  the  silent  frozen  landscape  ;  while,  for  two  in- 
termed'Hte  periods  of  a  little  over  two  months  in  the 
spriniL;  and  fall,  there  is  night  and  day  of  rapidly  vary- 
uiir  ratio. 


Ai)i)ciulix 


447 


TIk-Tc;  is  a  sa\a_L;c  "ranchur  in  these  riii.;i;eil  laiuls, 
their  character  fornu.v'  l)y  contact  wiiii  the  her^s  ami 
tloes.  such  as  never  greets  the  tra\-el!er  to  southern 
cHnies. 

\'«t,  forhiiUHn^-  as  the  coast  may  appear  to  the  raj)- 
idl)-  passing-  Arctic  \()\aner.  those  who  know  it  well, 
know  that  behind  tlu;  savaj^f  outer  mask,  the  tealures 
of  wiiich  iiave  l)een  carved  l)\  eternal  conlhct  with 
storms   and    glaciers,    herj^s    and    grindiuL;'    icc-tields, 


DALRYMPLE  ROCK. 

nestle  in  summer  many  ,L;rass-car[jett;d,  tlower-sprin- 
kled,  sund>:issed  nooks,  where  mild-eyed  deer  Ijrowse, 
and  twitterini^-  snow-buntings  fill  the  air  with  licpiid 
notes. 

Beyond  the  inherently  attractive  natural  features  of 
this  rei^non,  it  has  claims  ujjon  a  stronL(  human  interest 
in  that  it  is,  and  has  l.)een  for  aires,  the  et(..'rnally  ice- 


u 


44S        Nortliward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

iniprisoiicd  lionic  of  a  littU;  tribe:  of  happy,  c,ir(:-fr(;c, 
iiKlcpcMidcnt,  sclf-siipportiiiL,^  aborii^incs,  the  most 
nortlicrly  known  p('()j)l('  on  the  l;1<>1)i:. 

I  listorically  the  country  has  been  known  since  1616, 
when  P)\'lot  and  liatTin,  after  a  siir|)risinL,^  V()\aL,^e 
throui^h  Melville  liay,  ran  alonu^  a  portion  of  the  coast, 
ap|)lied  a  few  names,  and  anchored  in  one  or  two  places. 

\'ears  after,  Davis  sighted  the  land  ai^^^ain,  and  in 
18 1 8    Sir  John  Ross  discovered  that  it  was  inhabite'd. 


SAUNDERS  ISLAND. 


Since  then,  Cape  York,  the  southern  promontory  of 
the  countr\-.  has  been  on  the  path  of  the  whalers  en 
route  to  Lancaster  Sound,  and  the  ships  of  every 
Smith-Sound  Arctic  Expedition  have  passed  alont;"  its 
shores.  This  coast  presents  characteristics  different 
from  those  of  any  portion  of  the  west  coast  of  Green- 
land, to  the  south.  The  nearly  continuous  glacier 
faces  of  Melville  Bay,  broken  only  here  -xwA  there  by 
nunataks,  as  w^ell  as  the  meshwork  of  narrow^  fjords 


Appendix 


440 


and  labyrinth  of  olT-Iyin.L;  islantls,  forniinL;  tlic  coast, 
from  tlic  Ocvil's  Thinnli  to  Capf  I'arcwcll,  L;iv('  \)\acv. 
here;  to  tl\e  InAd  continuous  hues  of  thi'  main  rock- 
mass  of  the  Cihici.il  i'ontincnt.  prescntiuL;"  imprciLiiialde 
ramparts  wliich  nccvl  no  pickc't-hnc  of  ishuuls  to  hreak 
the  assaults  of  sea  and  ice. 

The  followiPL:^  jL,a'()loLjical  ticscription  of  the  region 
is  b)-  Prof.    T.  C.  Chamb'-rlin. 

"  In  the  region  of  In^'c  field  (lulf,  ancient  crystal- 
line rocks  of  the  j^neissic  t\p''  are   bordered   b)'  sand- 


OOMUNUI. 


stones  and  shales  of  unknown  aire.  While  the  full 
extent  of  this  clastic  series  could  not  be  determined, 
even  within  the  rcL^don  \isited,  because  it  reachetl  back 
under  the  ice-cap,  there  were  abumlant  grounds  for 
the  belief  that  it  is  but  a  narrow  skirting"  belt.  It  was 
seen  to  be  interruj)ted  at  frecpuMit  points  b\-  the  com- 
iuL,^  of  the  cr\stallin(!  series  to  the  shore.  At  other 
points,  bays  and  \alleys  w(;re  observed  to  reach  back 
across  the  clastic  l)elt  to  the  cr\stalline  series  Ix.'hind. 
The  clastic  series  embraces  thn^e  tlistiuL^uishable 
members.      The  lowest  is  a  retl   sandstone  which  at- 


-2t) 


i 


450        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

tains  a  thickness  of  perhaps  one  thousand  to  fifteen 
hundred  feet.  Lyinir  conformal^ly  upon  the  red  sand- 
stone is  a  somewhat  thicker  series  of  jjinkish-L^rey 
sandstone.  Reposino;-  conformably  upon  tlie  pinkish 
sandstone,  Hera  deep  senes  of  more  thin-bedded  sand- 
stones and  shales  of  reddish-brown  and  dark  hues. 
The  conformity  of  the  three  sandstone  series  amonq' 
themselves  suij^i^ests  tiiat  there  may  be  no  vital 
distinction  between  them,  and  that  they  represent  a 


HAKLUYT   ISLAND. 


consecutive  sedimentation 
of  four  or  five  thousand  fee 
the  series  is  extremely  ban 
by  no  means  safe  to  assu 
fossils  ;  while,  indeed,  it  is 
their  presence,  they  are  v 
scribed  in  their  distribution 
There  remain  o-rounds  for 
will  ultimately  be  found  to 


reaching-  a  total  thickness 
t  perhaps.  Unfortunately 
■en  of  fossils.  While  it  is 
me  the  entire  absence  of 
perhaps  safer  to  assume 
erv    rare,    or   else    circum- 

within  the  region  studied, 
hope  that  sufficient  fossils 

determine  the  aire  or  the 


Appendix 


451 


atrcs  of  the  scries.  Tlic  whole  uroiip  has  usually  been 
referred,  with  doubt,  to  the  Tertiary  aire,  because  of 
the  presence  of  rocks  of  that  ai^e,  with  a  similar  con- 
stitution, in  the  Disco  rei^non. 

"  ligneous  dykes  traverse  the  series  and  the  adjacent 
crystalline  terranes.  Tliese  are  obviously  later  than 
the  rocks  traversed  by  them,  but  not  necessarily  later 
than  all  of  the  clastic  serie:;.  Horizontal  sheets  of  ig- 
neous rock  were  seen  in  a  few  cases,  but  whether  they 


CHANNEL   BETWEEN   NORTHUMBERLAND  AND   HAKLUYT   ISLANDS. 

were  intruded  or  outpoured  on  the  surface  was  not 
determined." 

Both  to  the  north  and  to  the  south  of  W  hale  Sound 
the  sandstones  are  very  much  less  in  evidence,  the 
rock  formations  bein^-  almost  entirel)-  sj^-neissose. 

The  countr\-  is  really  a  double  peninsula  lyini;-  be- 
tween Melville  I)av  and  Kant?  Basin  on  th(;  south 
and  north  respectively,  and  Smith  Sound  and  the 
great  Inland  Ice  on  the  west  and  east  resp(;cti\ely, — 
a  peninsula  cut  nearl\-  in  two,  near  its  middle  latitude, 
by  the  ^reat  inlet  Whale  Sound.  Its  extent  in  lati- 
tude is  very  nearly  4°,  and  in  longitude  Si". 


!! 


H 


452       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

The,'  length  of  p(;rii)hcrai  coast-line  from  l^iislinan 
Island  to  the  southern  an^le  of  Humboldt  Cilacier, 
measured  from  headland  to  headland,  is  three  hundred 
and  fifteen  miU^s.  The  development  of  the  shores  of 
the  hays,  sounds,  and  islands  will  raise  this  distance 
to  one  thousand  miles. 

Cape  York,  the  hold  j)romontory  familiar  to  every 
whaler,  which  forms  the  scnithern  limit  of  this  coun- 
try, is  situated  in  }^°  51'  N.  Lat  and  65°  30'  \\\  l.onvr. 

From  this  cape,  a  concave  shore-line  of  steep  bluffs 


HEADLANDS  OF  NORTHUMBERLAND  ISLAND. 

Striking  Contrasts  of  Sky  Contour. 

and  precipitous  brown  cliffs  one  thousand  to  fifteen 
hundred  feet  in  heij^ht,  interrupted  by  numerous 
small  glaciers,  and  surmounted  by  a  succession  of 
ice-domes  with  their  connecting-  saddles,  extends 
north-westerly  a  distance  of  thirt)-hve  miles  to  the 
sharp-pointed,  ra^oetl  islet  known  as  Conical  Rock. 

Millions  of  little  auks  breed  all  aloni;-  this  shore, 
and  the  fertilising^  effect  of  their  presence,  combined 
with  the  naturalh'  deep  rock  colouriuL;,  _L';ives  to  the 
cliffs  in  summer  an  unexpected  warmth  of  rich  colour. 


i 


4i  ' 


H 

0) 

< 

Cb 


^ 


u^T 


:'1 


454        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

In  early  summer,  after  the  meUint^  of  the  snow  is  well 
under  way,  the  presence  of  considerable  (juantities  of 
the  so-called  red  snow  i^ivos  an  excuse;  perhaps  for  the 
rather  vivid  name  of  "  Crimson  Cliffs,"  applied  by 
Captain  Ross.  Abreast  of  Conical  Rc^ck,  the  shore 
for  two  or  three  miles  is  a  vertical  cliff  swarmiuL;-  with 
looms  and  kittiwake  oulls,  then  it  retreats,  formini^  a 
little  l)iL,H:t  two  or  three  miles  wide  and  four  or  five 
deep,  which  does  not  appear  on  the  charts.     A  ft;w 


ROOKERY  OF  LITTLE  AUKS. 


miles  north  of  this  bi^ht,  the  crystal  wall  of  the  Peto- 
wik  Glacier  presents  for  six  or  seven  miles  a  ^listeninL;" 
barrier  to  the  waves.  North  of  this,  a  comparatixt'ly 
direct  line  of  cliffs  extends  to  Cape  Athol,  fifty-six 
miles  from  Cape  York.  These  cliffs  lack  a  crowning- 
ice-cap  ;  the  glaciers  of  the  Cape  York  cliffs  are  re- 
placed by  narrow  orass-carpeted  ravines  leadini^  up  to 
a  rollino-  interior  plateau,  favourite  haunt  of  deer.  The 
cliffs  themselves,  composed  of  Cvintorted  o^neiss,  show 


Q 


Appendix 


455 


sharp,  ani^ular  lines  and  faces  and  a  comparatively 
small  talus.  A  few  little  auks  breed  alouLT  this  sec- 
tion  of  coast,  and  numbers  of  small  ^rass-covered  jdat- 
forms  and  terraces  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs  are  favourite 
summer  cami)in<j;--places  of  tlu;  natives. 

At  Cape  Athol  the  coast-line  turns  sharply  to  the 
east-north-east,  to  form  the  southern  shore  of  a  lart^e 
bifurcated  inlet  known  as  Wolstenholm  .Sound.  Be- 
tween this  shore  line,  the  Petowik  ice-stream,  and  the 
ice-cap,  is  a  lari^e  extent  of  ele\ated  table-land  some 
one  thousand  feet  a])Ove  the  sea,  diversitied  with  val- 


ICE-CAP  AND  GLACIERS  OF  HERBERT  ISLAND. 

leys,  streams,  and  lakes,  aft'ordini;-  pasturage  for  num- 
bers of  deer.  Within  the  Sound,  the  shore;  bluffs  lose 
some  of  their  abruptness.  Some  thirty  miles  from 
Cape  Athol,  the  Sound  is  terminatetl  by  three  ^reat 
glacier  faces,  those  of  the  Moore,  Chamberlin,  and 
Salisbury  Glaciers.  From  these,  the  northern  shore, 
hii^h  and  bold  but  not  precipitous,  and  tlivcTsitied  by 
several  small  L,daciers,  trends  away  to  the  mouth  of 
Granville  Ba\'.  the  northerly  arm  of  the  Sound. 

This    bay  presents   an    interestinij^    o^roup    of    gla- 
ciers, and,  following  the  northern  shore  to  the  west- 


r 


"1  ' 


'i 


1 


45^       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

ward  some;  thirt\'  miles,  a  hlack  cliff  is  rcaclu-d  at 
which  die  line  of  hluffs  trends  aLrain  to  the  north-west- 
ward  in  a  continuation  of  the  line  interruptetl  at  Cape 
Athol.  In  the  mouth  of  Wolstenholm  Sound  is  an 
interesting-  L;;-roup  of  islands,  described  farther  on. 
This  cliff  is  from  a  distances  the  anj)arent  hut  not  the 
real  northern  point  of  Wolstenholm  Sound.  /\t  the 
foot  of  it,  and  extending- north-westward  for  a  distance 
of  twenty  miles,  is  a  peculiar  strip  of  low  foresiiore. 


Il 


SCULPTURED  CLIFFS  OF  KARNAH. 

EiD.sion  of  (irey  Saiulitonc. 

from  one  to  two  or  three  miles  in  width,  lyino^  between 
the  base  of  the  cliffs  and  the  sea.  The  counterpart 
of  this  feature  is  not  to  be  foinid  anywhere  else  in  the 
country.  It  is  cut  by  three  small  irregular  inlets,  from 
the  centre  of  one  of  which  rises  the  strikinei;'  mass  of 
Bell  Rock,  and  finally  narrows  to  a  point  and  ends 
under  the  towering-  black  cliffs  of  Cape  Parry,  the 
southern  portal  of  the  next  great  inlet.  Whale  Sound. 
In  the  rear  of  this  foreshore  three  large  glaciers  de- 


Appendix 


457 


scene!  throu|L^h  breaks  in  the  bluffs  and  reacli  the  sea- 
level  in  the  inlets.  The  shore  jjropia*  is  a  savai^e 
black  wall  of  ra_Li'_i;"ecl  rock,  low,  with  oiitlyint,^  reefs  and 
rocks, — a  shore  to  be  avoided. 

Standini:;  Lj^uard  at  the  southern  entrance;  of  Whale 
Sound,  Cape  Parry,  some  twelve  hutul  •ed  fee.'t  in 
heii^ht,  and  one  of  the  most  strikinjj^  landmaik.;  of  this 
coast,  presents  a  vertical  face  to  the  west  and  north- 


CASTLE  CLIFFS. 

Erosion  i)f  Red  Sanclstuiie. 

west.  To  the  observer  on  a  shijj  coming'  north  from 
Wolstenholm  Island,  Ilakluyt,  Northumberland,  and 
the  western  point  of  Herbert  Island  have  been  visible 
for  some  time  before  reachini!^  the  cape. 

Durint'f  the  lonuf  summer  da\',  the  water  below  the 
dark  cliff  is  alive  with  the  whirrinL(  wiuL^s  and  ij^leam- 
in^^  white  breasts  of  covmtless  little  auks.  Rounding- 
the  cape,  there  opens  up  the  wide  expanse  of  one  of 
the  larg"est,  most  diversified,  and   most  attractive   of 


i 


^•w 


458       Northward  over  the  '•  Great  Ice  " 

Arctic  ink'ts.  Fifty-five;  niik-s  wich;  ,'it  its  mouth,  which 
is  divich'cl  into  two  l)r()cul  chaniK^ls  by  a  trio  of  comniand- 
inj^"  ishmds,  and  eighty  miles  cU^ep,  it  presents  (;very 
phase  of  Arctic  scenery,  chmate,  and  hfe, — is,  in  fact,  a 
iittk;  Arctic  workl  in  its(;lf.  Ak^n^'  its  shores  are  to  he 
found  k)w  L^rassy  sk)pc;s  ;  towerinij  chffs,  massive  and 
soHd,  carved,  by  tht;  Titan  aij^encies  of  the  savage 
North,  into  wikl  forms;  win(kswept  points  wliere 
nothinjj;"  can  exist  ;  sheltered  nooks  where  never  a  vio- 
lent breath  of  air  penetrates  ;  valle)s  where  luxuriant 


SOUTH  GLACIER. 


grass  is  brightened  by  myriads  of  yellow,  purple,  blue, 
and  white  tlowers  ;  slopes  and  plateaus  as  barren  as 
the  surtace  of  a  cinder  pile;  huge  glaciers  which 
launch  a  prolific  progeny  of  bergs  into  the  sea  ;  tiny 
elaciers  which  cliuLT  tenaciously  in  the  anMes  of  the 
cliffs  ;  miles  and  miles  of  glistening  blue,  berg-dotted 
water ;  and  everywhere  a  few  miles  back  from  the 
shore,  the  shore  of  that  other  silent,  eternal,  frozen 
desert  sea,  the  "  Great  Ice." 

This  Sound  was  one  of  the  earliest  discovered  and 
named  localities  of  the  Arctic  rei^ions  of  the  eastern 


hi 


•f 


Appendix 


459 


hemisphLTc.  Haffin  in  1616  anchored  behind  "  Ilak- 
hiits  Isle."  Yet  its  entire  extent  and  features  are 
known  but  now,  as  the  result  of  my  e-xpeditions. 

The  variance  of  existiuLT  charts  from  the  real  con- 
fisjuration  of  this  re^non  is  such  that  I  found  it  difhcult 
to  locate  satisfactorily  man\-  of  the,-  names  anoeariiiir 
upon  the  charts.  I  have,  however,  retained  all  these 
names,  and  I  think  tliat  in  fviture  there  will  be  no  dif- 
ficulty in  distinguishin!^  them. 

Six  inlets  of  diverse  size  and  characteristics  o])en 
into  the  Sound,  and  ten  islands,  two  of  which,  Xorth- 


MT.  BARTLETT. 


umberland  and  Herbert,  are  of  considerable  size,  are 
scattered  about  it. 

After  roundiuij;'  Cape  Parry,  a  ship  entering-  Whale 
Sound  steams  at  first  directly  for  the  opening!;-  between 
Herbert  and  Xorthumljerland  Iskinds,  a  fine  view  of 
both  beinq-  obtained.  On  the  ri<rht  is  a  hitj^h,  bold 
shore,  which  on  account  of  its  northern  exposure  is 
not  as  attractive  in  appearance  oS  that  south  of  the 
cape.  V^eo^etation  is  scanty,  and  c^laciated  drifts  <;f 
snow  remain  the  year  rcAuul  under  the  crest  of  the 
cliffs,  which  protect  them  from  the  noon  sun. 


% 


4^5o       Nortlnvard  over  llic  "Great  Ice" 


(I  I 


I 
I 


A  few  nuhts  from  the  c'd\n:  is  tlic  littl«;  hi-^lit  known 
as  Harden  hay,  in  \vlii(  h  is  located  one  of  the  In-st 
known  of  the  native  settlements,  Netiulumi.  The 
^daciers  reappear  here,  three  of  them  dehouchinL;-  into 
the  bay.  Leavinj^^  this  Ixiy  and  still  headipo^  easterly, 
the  shore,  for  several  miles,  is  a  continuous  v(  rtical  cliff, 
lackini;  beach,  foreshore,  or  talus.  About  eii^ht  or 
ten  miles  east  of  Netiulumi,  thecoas-t  takes  a  still  more 


^ 

'    -  -             X 

^H|||K 

*si  m 

^^^g_^  ""IH 

^^^^^^^KKsfi'i ' . . 

^^J 

SENTINEL  NUNATAK. 

(ilaeier  Carving  on  Rocks  in  ForL's^round. 

easterly  bend,  the  mouth  of  Olriks  Bay  and  the  sharp, 
black  peak  of  Kirsirviahsuk  open  up,  while  the  silver 
faces  of  three  ij^laciers  can  be  seen  protrudinj^  into  the 
sea.  Up  to  the  point,  the  cliffs  are  wild  in  outline, 
beautiful  and  warm  in  the  colourini^  of  the  dark  browns 
and  reds  and  o^reys  of  the  various  strata,  and  the 
jj^reenish-brow..  of  the  intersectinLj;-  trap-dykes.  East 
of  the  point,  gnarled  and  veined  i^neiss  takes  the  place 
of  the  stratified  rocks,  the   cliffs  lose  their  warmth  of 


Appendix 


461 


colour,  clKinL^iiiL;  to  cold,  soinhrc  i^rcy,  and  ttvcr)-  aiit^dc, 
cleft,  and  opcninL;  is  i>cciii)i(..'d  by  a  jL^lacicr.  Twelve 
jj^laciers  llovv  down  the  cliffs  in  the  twiMity-two  miles 
l)etwe(Mi  Netiulumi  and  Itlihloo,  at  the  entrance  of 
Olriks  liay. 

This  hay — so  called,  thoui^di  it  is  really  a  fjord, — 
is  a  jjictures(iue  inlet,  and  the  only  one  of  its  kind 
in  the  country.     Its  width  at  the  mouth,   measured 


VALLEY  SCENE,  HEAD  OF  BOWDOIN  BAY. 

Su[jar-I.  af  Mount,  One  (jf  tlie  I'eaks  <if  the  Mountain  Dam  wliicli  IIoM-^  tlie 
Inland  Ice  in  Ciieck,  in  tiic  iJackground. 

somewhat  diajj^onally  across  to  the  ()pi)osite  hhiH  of 
Kani^a,  is  seven  miles,  and  from  hc^re  it  extends  i;ast- 
ward  seventeen  miles,  gradually  narrowing-  t(^  a  width 
of  less  than  two  miles  ;  and  a  massive;  tlat-t()i)i)ed 
mountain  lies  directl)-  across  it.  As  seen  from 
Ittibloo,  and  in  fact  from  any  i)oint  until  w(;ll  within 
the  bay,  this  niountairi  is  apparently  its  head.  Just 
to  the  left  of  it,  however,  a  contracted  passage  permits 


•51 


I 


4^>-        Northward  over  the  "(Ircat  Ice" 

fartlier  proiL^rcss.  and.  once  throiiL^h  these  narrows,  a 
l<)nL,^  narrow,  ri\cr-Iike  stretcli  of  water  opens  up, 
coinpleteK-  landdocked,  with  low,  roUiiiL;,  _L,aassy 
sliores,  on  either  siile  risiiii;  *;Ta(hially  to  the  l)orch:rs 
of  the  ice-cap  a  few  niil(;s  cHstant.  llere  is  the;  honu: 
ami  favourite  haiuit  of  the  reindeer,  where,  shehered 
from  the  cold,  damp,  seaward  fogs,  and  the  biting,  ice- 


'  "^^^i^S:;-^^ 


V    •.  '>*ilt> 


W  V     ' 


'^0^yr 


■^j 


AP.CTIC  FLOWERS. 


cap  winds,  an  abundant  pasturage  springs  up  for  them. 
Again  the  bay  seems  to  end  at  a  bhick  cliff,  lying 
directly  across  it,  twenty-one  miles  from  the  narrows, 
but  on  a  near  approach  an  opening  is  seen  to  the 
right,  and  passing  through  these  upper  narrow^s,  but  a 
trifle  over  a  mile  in  width,  the  third  and  last  section 
of  the  fjord  is  entered.  This  section  is  almost  com- 
pletely walled  by  steep  bluffs  and  vertical  cilffs,  and 


Ill wi  iiMBiin 


A|  ))-.'Uilix 


463 


tcnninatcs  finally  at  tl.-  lao  ol  a  -!a<'i'.-r  tlowiiii;  from 
the  main  iiUrrior  ict  •.'an  A  '.horr  .oiithcrK'  hramh 
isalso  tcrmiiiatciihy.i  ronsiilcial/'u  L,'aci('r.  'I'hc  total 
lcii;^th  of  this  l)a\-  is  'lit'.  mil<'S,  and  its  axfra.^c  width 
not  o\tr  three   miles:. 

Returning  to  il  ;    iilnff  K.ins^a,  at  the  n)outh  of  the 
])av,  the  main  shore  ui  tlie  oound  trend  .  north-easterly, 


K^^^;>^j",:^ 

■^ 

".•'«',' 

•,^»'i 

>';.■'?«*,;? 

g 

'I 

1^''^ 

y-jf- 

V'^ 

-          ,1                .         .       ■ 

-«d:^\'>*?^J^J»»V/%'»«..    JifP« 

r*  ■ 

'.  .v«i 

•"'^ 

^.     >     .;  .^ 

i^^K^^IS 

^iJ 

te>^ 

< 

)^ 

rT:^:^ 

-1 

t^v^^ 

■Rb^mM^pHH^ 

^j^ 

'•■'f.' 

'Wl^l% 

pir 

^^ 

& 

ARCTIC  FLOWERS. 

in  a  succession  of  (U,'c:i)ly  eroded  cliffs  and  steep  bluffs, 
uninterrupted  by  glaciers,  thirt(;en  mih's,  when  it  turns 
du(;  east  a^ain,  and  in  a  series  of  rounled  hills,  on 
whose  sumn^.its  rests  an  ice-caj),  reaches  eastward,  lo 
the  mouth  of  Academy  Bay,  thirty-tive  miles  from 
Kani^a. 

Academy  Hay   is   much    smaller  than  Olriks.  beino; 
but  about   thirteen   miles   louij^  and   two   miles   wide 


i 


I 


f 


464       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

Cuttin_L(  into  the  land  at  first  in  a  south-easterly  direc- 
tion, it  swinij^s  due  east  and  terminates  at  the  face  of 
a  laru^e  ij^lacier,  which  is  practically  the  northern  arm 
of  the  one  enterin<r  the  head  of  Olriks  Bay.  Though 
the  shores  of  this  hay  are  bold  throusj^hout,  there  are 
portions  of  the  north-eastern  side  where  steep  valleys 
i»"ive  access  to  the  elevated  antl  ext(;nsive  rolling 
plateau  lying  east  of  the   bay,  between  it  and  the  ice- 


KAHKOKTAH  GLACIER. 
Typical  Form.     Red  Cliff  Peninsula  Ice-Cap  in  Hackground. 

cap.  The  south-west  side,  on  the  contrary,  from  the 
bold  bluff  at  the  entrance,  to  far  up  beyond  the  extrem- 
ity of  the  glacier,  is  a  continuous,  inaccessible,  vertical 
cliff. 

From  the  eastern  pomt  of  Academy  Bay  the  main 
shore  of  the  gulf  extends,  due  east,  to  the  face  of 
the  great  Heilpriii  (ilacier.  and  then  on  beside  the 
great  ice-stream,  until  the  crests  of  the  cliffs  disappear 
under  the  white  shroud  of   the  "  (ireat  Ic(^"      brom 


382 


■  ■''•^'» 


Appendix 


465 


here  on,  the  eastern  and  northern  sides  of  the  head  of 
the  trulf  are  an  ahiiost  continuous  Lflacier  face,  six  s/reat 
ice-streams,  separated  In*  as  many  i>recipitous  nunataks, 
flowinL^  down  from  the  interior  ice-ca|)  to  chscharoe  an 
enormous  fleet  of  i^er^^s.  As  a  resuk  of  tliis  free  ths- 
charsj^c,  the  i^^reat  white  viscosity  of  the  interior  has 
settled  down  into  a  hujj^e,  and  in  clear  weather  easily 
discernible,  semi-circular  basin,  similar  to  those  of 
Tossukatek,  Great  Kariak,  and  Jacobshavn.      In  this 


GLACIER  MARGIN. 


head  of  the  s^ulf,  situated  some  in  the  face  of  the 
olaciers,  and  others  a  short  distance  beyontl  them,  an; 
seven  or  ei^ht  islands,  most  of  which  bear  proofs  of 
former  j^laciation.  Alono-  the  north-western  shore  of 
the  Li'ulf,  the  vertical  cliffs  resume  their  swa\',  back  of 
which  rise  the  trio  of  striking  peaks,  Mounts  l)aly, 
Adams,  antl  l\itnam.  The  clifts  continue  westward 
for  somct  little  distance,  then  ^nuluall)-  mer^;e  into  a 
gentle  slope,  which  is  in  turn  succeedetl  by  the  .ace 


vtii..  1,-30 


J 


1-66       Northward  over  the  "  Great  Ice  " 


of  the  Hubbard  Glacier.  West  of  the  olacier,  cHffs 
of  a  different  character  (red  and  s/rev  sandstone) 
occur,  and  extend  to  the  s^^rand  and  picturescjue  red- 
brown  Castle  Cliffs  at  the  cMitrancc;  to  Bowdoin  l)ay. 
At  these  cliffs  the  shore  takes  an  abrui)t  turn  to  the 
northward,  into  the  now  familiar  but  i^reviously  un- 
known Bowdoin  Bay,  in  which  was  located  the  head- 
quarters of  my  last  Expedition. 

This  bay   has  an   extreme   lenL^th   of  eleven  miles. 
and  an   average   width   of    between   three    and    four 


TYPICAL  STRATIFICATION  AND  DIP. 

miles.  What  with  its  southern  exposure,  the  protec- 
tion from  the  wind  afforded  by  the  cliffs  and  bluffs 
which  enclose  it,  and  the  warmth  of  colourini^  of  its 
shores,  it  presents  one  of  the  most  desirable  locations 
for  a  house.  The  scenery  is  also  varied  and  attract- 
ive, offerini^  to  the  eye  L^reater  contrasts,  with  less 
chanL(e  of  position,  than  any  other  locality  occurrinj^ 
to  me.  Around  the  circuit  of  the  bay  are  seven 
glaciers  with  exposures  to  all  points  of  the  compass, 
and  varying  in  size  from  a  few  hundred  feet  to  over 
two  miles  in  width. 


i 


<i 


■""*"  '1,1 


468       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

Th(j  ice-cap  itself  is  also  in  evidence  here,  its  verti- 
cal face  in  one  place  capping  and  forming  a  continua- 
tion of  a  vertical  cliff  which  rises  direct  from  the  bay. 
From  the  western  point  of  the  bay,  a  line  of  grey 
sandstone  cliffs — the  Sculptured  Cliffs  of  Karnah — 
interrupted  by  a  single  glacier  in  a  distance  of  eight 
miles,  and  carved  by  the  resistless  arctic  elements 
into  turrets,  bastions,  huge  amphitheatres,  and  colossal 
statues  of  men  and  animals,  extends  to  Cape  Ackland, 


JUNE  IN  BOWDOIN  BAY. 

the  Karnah  of  the  natives.  Here  the  cliffs  end 
abruptly,  and  the  shore  trending  north-westward  to 
Cape  Cleveland,  eighteen  miles  distant,  consists  of  an 
almost  continuous  succession  of  fan-shaped,  rocky 
deltas  formed  by  glacier  streams.  Back  of  the  shore- 
line is  a  gradually  sloping  foreshore,  rising  to  the  foot 
of  an  irregular  series  of  hills,  which  rise  more  steeply 
to  the  ice-cap  lying  upon  their  summits.  In  almost 
every  depression  between  these  hills,  the  t:\ce  of  a 
glacier  may  be  seen,  and  it  is  the  stn^ams  from  these 


■MilM 


Appendix 


469 


that  have  made  the  shore  what  it  is,  and  formed  the 
wide  shoals  off  it,  on  which  every  year  a  numerous 
rteet  of   icebert^s     ecomes  strandetl. 

At  the  yellow  bastion  of  Cape  Cleveland,  the  shore 
retreats  sharply  to  the  eastward  into  McCormick  Hay, 
which  penetrates  to  a  dtqjth  of  some  fifteen  miles,  and 
the  former  extension  of  it,  now  a  wide  grassy  valley 
walled  by  bluffs  and  glacier  faces,  reaches  eastward 


COAST  WEST  OF   HUBBARD  GLACIER. 

some  ten  miles  more,  nearly  to  the  head  of  Howdoin 
Bay.  This  l)ay  pn-sents  more  of  the  character!,  tics  of 
a  bay  proper  and  less  of  those  of  a  fjord  than  an\-  of 
the  other  raniifications  of  Whale  Sound.  iMttcen 
miles  deep  by  nine^  miles  wide  at  its  mouth,  and  four  at 
its  bottom,  its  shores,  nowhere  precipitous,  present  an 
almost  continuous  line  of  beach.  The  northern  sl\ore, 
a   moderate   slope,    intersected    by   numerous   ravines 


'A' 


a 


V 


470       Northward  over  the  "  Great  Ice  " 

and  cH'sUxl  ]>)'  an  isolated  icL'-c:i|),  is  as  attractive  and 
ftM'lilc  as  the  slair  heap  of  an  iron  foundry 

( )nly  the  dark  hliifl  of  Capc'  !•  hcrlson  s('j)arates 
McCorniick  l)a\'  from  Robertson's  I^)av.  This  latter 
ba)  is  somewhat  smaller  than  McCorniick,  and  is  the 
last  of  the  Whale-Sound  inlets.  The  scenery  of  the 
bay  is  very  bold,  and  the  cliffs  near  the  head  are  so 
strikingly  L,n'and  and  {precipitous,  that  the  native 
name  Imnaksoah  signifies  "the  i)recipitous  j)lacvj." 
From  Robertson,  the  north-westerly  trendin;^  coast  is 


CHARACTERISTIC  GLACIER  SNOUT. 

East  (1  lacier. 


formed  of  alternatiuL;-  cliffs  and  broad  ^iacier  faces,  to 
Cape  Chalon,  the  favourite  walrus  huntin^--oTound  of 
the  natives  ;  thence  it  trends  more  to  the  northward, 
and,  in  a  great  concave  curve,  broken  by  two  or  three 
L^laciers,  sweeps  aw^ay  to  the  couchant  mass  of  vqld 
UL^looksoah  (Cape  Alexander),  the  western  sentinel  of 
the  countr)',  which,  from  its  position  just  midway  be- 
tween the  confines  and  the  heart  of  the  Arctic  Niuht,^ 
frowns  or  smiles,  as  its  mood  may  be,  upon  the  perennial 
waves  of  the  North  Water. 

'  Cape  Alexander  is  just-iialf  way  between  tiie  Arctic  Circle  and  the  Pole. 


(^ 


Appendix 


4/1 


North  of  Cape  Alexander  is  a  coast,  the  features  of 
which  have  been  made  faniiHar  to  all  hy  the  pens 
of  Kane  and  Hayes,  trendini,^  nearly  north  to  Ca])e 
Ohlsen.  Ht;re  the  coast  s\vin<rs  abruptly  eastward, 
and,  in  a  succession  of  brown  cliffs,  hnally  (lisaj)pears 
under  the  omnii)resent  ice-ca[)  at  the  southern  ani^le 
of  the  Humboklt  (dacier. 

In  this  stretch  of  coast  are  the  well  known  Cr^stal- 


CLIFFS  OF  KANGERDLOOKSOAH. 

Palace  Cliffs  and  Glacier,  Port  P\)ulke,  Foulke  Fjord, 
Sunrise  Point,  Littleton  Island,  Cape  Ohlsen,  Life- 
Boat  Cove,  and  Cairn  Point  ;  and  in  this  short  reach, 
three  expeditions — Kane's,  Hall's,  Hayes's, — have 
wintered. 

The  islands  of  this  coast,  from  Cape  York  northward, 
present  two  strikini;  peculiarities.  They  are  almost 
invariably  in  groups  of  three,  consistinj^r  of  two  lari,re 


4/2       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

ones  of  entirely  dissimilar  characteristics,  and  a  third 
much  smaller.  I'Or  example,  Bushnan,  Meteorite,  and 
Round  Islands — Saunders,  W'olstenholm,  and  Dal- 
ryiuplc^ — Herbert,  Northumberland,  and  Hakluyt — 
Harvard,  Lion,  and  Little  I\Litterhorn — and  lesser 
examples,  the  Manson  Islands,  and  the  Sister  Hees. 

The  similarity  between  the  two  larij^(;st  of  these 
groups,  the  Herbert-Northumberland-Hakluyt  and 
the  Saunders-Wolstenholm-Dalrymple,  is  particularly 
strikinjj^.  Iiach  group  lies  in  the  mouth  of  a  great 
inlet.  In  each  group  is  a  larg(i  v(  'cal  sided,  tlat- 
topped  island  of  stratifietl  rock — H'.'b  :  and  vSaun- 
ders ; — in  each  the  next  is  a  small      Oi'     of  different 


NUNATAKS. 


formation  and  bolder  orography — Northumberland 
and  Wolstenholm  ; — and  the  outer,  a  still  smaller  pre- 
cipitous rock,  the  home  of  numerous  sea-birds, — Hak- 
luyt, Ualrymple. 

The  contrast  between  intlividual  islands,  though 
marked  in  each  group,  is  especially  noticeable  in  the 
case  of  Herl)ert  and  Northumberland.  Though  sepa- 
rated by  a  channel  scarcely  more  than  one  mile  witle, 
Herbert  is  a  vertical-sided,  llat-topped  mass  of  varie- 
gated sandstone  without  a  sea-level  glacier,  and  with 
but  a  small  ice-cap  ;  while  Northumberland  is  a  mass 


11 . 


-*'-' 


Appendix 


473 


of  hlirh  suniniits  of  oncissos'.'  ami  Ixisaltic  rocks  almost 
completely  covered  with  ice-ca[),  from  which  exude 
numerous  sea-level  ;j^laciers.  This  island  presents,  in 
the  close  juxtai)osition  of  llowinj:;"  white  ice-ilomes  and 
raL(_L(ed  black  cliffs,  the  most  strikini^  contrasts  of  colour 
and  sky  contour. 

Another  feature  is  the  frequent  recurrence  of  sharp 
conical  rocks  risinij;'  directK'  from  the  sea.  TIk,-  least 
pronounced  of  th(;s(;  is  Round  Island,  some  thirty 
miles  east  of  Cape  York.  Then  come  the  well-known 
Conical,  Dalrympk,',  and  Hell  Rocks  ;  then  the  less- 
known    and   smaller   but   equally   pronounced    Little 


LITTLETON  ISLAND  FROM  SITC  OF  POLARIS  HOUSE. 

Matterhorn  at  the  head  of  Im^defield  Gulf,  and  Suther- 
land Island  just  south  of  Capt,-  Alexander.' 

In  the  proximity  of  the  ice-cap  to  the  shore,  and 
the  existence  of  numerous  detached  ice-caps  or  tlomes 
separated  completely  from  the  Inland-Ice  sheet,  this 
region  is  marked. 

An  impressive  feature,  too,  is  tlu;  glaciers  ;  hundreds 
of  these,  of  all  sizes.  sha[)es,  and   characteristics,  llow 

'  Still  further  cxamiiles  o(  tliese  peculiar  isiaiuls  are  Cocke<l-IIat  Island  west 
of  Cape  Sabine,  (one  Island  in  Jones  Sound,  and  Sugar  Leaf  in  the  bay  south 
of  Wilcox   lieatl. 


J 


474       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

down  the  nunuTous  fjords,  vallcNs,  and  raviiiL'Sof  tliis 
coast  from  the  "  Ciruat  Ice  "  towards  the  sea.  Many  of 
them  never  reach  the  sea,  hwi  waste  awa)'  in  the 
warmth  of  the  valle\s.  Others  ch)  attain  the  sea, 
stretchini^  unctnous  hlue  ice-chffs,  fifty  to  one  hundred 
and  tift\'  feet  hiL,di  and  one  half  to  ten  miles  loni^',  aloniL^ 
the  shore  and  across  the  heads  of  havs,  from  which 
every  Near  is  launched  a  prolitic  llet:t  of  hen's. 

The  motion  of  even  the  larj^est  of  these  glaciers  is 
comparativel)'  slow,  and  of  the  smaller  non-sea-le\'el 
ones  almost  imperceptihle.  Thi-y  are  extraordinarih' 
well  exposed  and   open,  and  there  is   no  place  in  the 


NORTH  SHORE,  LITTLETON  AND  McGARY  ISLANDS, 

world  where  a  wider  variety  of  examples  is  to  be  seen 
in  so  narrow  an  area,  or  where  the  physics  and  dynam- 
ics of  i^lacier  structure  antl  movement  can  be  studied 
more  easily  or  to  better  advantage.  I  'U)ubt  if  any 
other  known  rejj^ion  of  ecjual  extent  shows  olacial 
phenomena  of  such  mas^niitude  and  variety  as  the 
shores  of  AVhale  Sound  and   InL,defield   Gulf. 

The  Petowik  Glacier  is  the  lono^est,  and  the  group 
at  the  head  of  InLrlcheld  Gulf, — Heilprin,  Tracy,  Mel- 
ville,   Farquhar, — the   most   prolific,    owinjr    to   their 


Appendix  475 

Iciii^th  of  face,  j)rc)xiiiiit\'  to  tlu;  jj^rcat  interior  ice,  and 
the  size  of  their  in'i'i'  basins.  Many  others,  however, 
as  the  Jesuj),  I  )iel)its(:h,  C'hikls.  Leiily,  Howdoin,  Sun, 
Verhoeff,  Chanii)crhn.  Moore,  Sahshiir)-,  Ittihloo,  Mis- 
uniisii,  ami  Savat^e,  contrihiite  their  full  (|uotaof  heri^s. 
All  th(.-se  mentioned  L^laciers  iiave  hiL;h  vertical  faces, 
and,  with  the  exception  of  the  Petowik,  are  rent  by 
crevasses  and  seracs. 

In  Cape  N'ork  Hay.  however,  there  is  a  L;roup  of 
glaciers,  the  surfaces  of  which  are  unbroken  1)\-  cre- 
vasses or  S(;racs,  and  tlu;  e'Xtrctniities  of  which  descend 
so   L^radually  to  the  water-level,  that  it  is  possible  to 


CAIRN  POINT. 


Step  upon  them  from  a  boat,  traverse  their  surface  at 
will,  and  ascend  their  gentle  slopes,  unimpeded  by 
an)'  obstruction,  to  the  ice-caj)  in  which  they  oriL,nnate. 

As  imlicated  near  the  bejj^inninL;-  of  this  chapt(,'r,  and 
as  specifically  noted  by  Prof.  Chamberlin  in  his  -^Geo- 
logical diaiijj^nosis  of  this  rei^ion,  this  coast  is  not.  pre- 
cisely speakinu^,  mountainous. 

The  coast  ribbon  protrudinu^  for  a  i^reater  or  k^ss 
width  from  benc^ath  the  surcharL^enivMit  of  the  ic(;-cap, 
is  really  a  table-land  of  approximatc^ly  2000-2500  feet 


4/6       Northward  ov^cr  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

in  hciL^lu,  tlroppinL,^  finally  in  steep  bluffs  or  vertical 
cliffs  to  tlu?  sea.  Thert;  are,  however,  some  prominent 
peaks  whose  superior  elevation  is  not  fully  aj)parent 
unless  om;  has  seen  them  from  the  ice-cap,  loominj^ 
above  their  surroundinirs.  One  of  the  most  command- 
inj^  summits  (jf  the  entire  reL,don,  a  snow-capped  mass 
of  threat  individuality,  situated  upon  the  north-west 
shore  of  In^lefield  (iulf,  1  have  nanu^d,  in  honour  of  the 
distiuL^uished  President  of  the  American  (ieotrraphical 
L^Gciety,  Mount  Daly.  Another  bold  summit  in  Kob- 
ert;K)n  Bay  I  have  named  Mount  Wistar. 

Thoujj^h  a  reunion  of  ij^reat  contrasts,  there  are  con- 
stantly recurriuij^  types,  as,  for  example,  the  bastions 
of  KauLi^a,  Cape  Cleveland,  and  Bastion  Point ;  the 
statues  of  the  Castle,  and  Sculptured  Cliffs,  and  Mount 
Wistar  ;  the  jj^neissose  faces  of  Parker  Snow  Point, 
Hakluyt,  and  Northumi)erland  Islands,  and  Cape 
Parry  ;  the  rai^iL^ed  crests,  ice-domes,  and  sectional  ice- 
caps of  Josephine  Headland,  Mount  Wistar,  and  Im- 
nahlooksoah. 

Thert;  is  also  a  wealth  of  natural  curiosities,  as  the 
Bronze-  Sphinx,  the  Devil's  Bastion,  Mountain  of  the 
Holy  Cross,  Glacier  of  the  Scarlet  Heart,  Cave  of 
Petowik,  Great  Arch  at  Cape  York,  Bell  Rock,  Half 
Dome,  and  the  iL^nimut,  or  Pirestone.  Then  there 
are  countless  plun^inij^  cascades,  brawlino^  streams, 
(^lacier  iti^rottos,  and  the  ever-present  yet  ev'er-chanLrinjj^ 
fleet  of  stately  beri^s  which  ride  in  every  inlet  and 
cruise  alomj;'  each  mile  of  coast. 

Such  is  this  rei^ion  in  summer.  In  winter  it  would 
kardly  be  recoj^nised.  The  land  is  shrouded  in  snow, 
and  shows  a  jj^hastly  i^rey  in  the  dim.  starlii^ht ;  the 
sea  is  white  and  rigid  ;  no  sound  is  in  the  bitter  air, 
which  is  punjrent  with  frost  spiculat ;  litdit  and  life 
have  fled  ;  land,  and  sea,  and  sky,  and  air,  are  dark  and 
dead  and  frozen. 


, 


T 
( 


APPENDIX    II. 

THE    SMITH-SCJUND    ESKIMOS 
TnK  Most  Northerly  Human  BF.rxr.soN  T.rF  r.nnp     a  t 

K^rr^— -r\-''-— -^^-™-^^^^^ 


9^ 


I 


A     SMITH  SOUND     ESKIMO. 


'^—mfwwvTmt  Hi\it\jtmiitmmmtimmmmmmmiKm 


APPENDIX    II. 


THE    SMITH-SOUND    ESKIMOS. 


I '% 

r, 

Iff'-' 

O' 


all  interesting 
aborii^inal  tribes 
of  men,  there  is 
none  more  strikinj^-ly  so 
than  the  little  community 
of  Eskimos  whose  habi- 
tat is  the  west  coast  of 
Greenland,  between  Mel- 
ville Bay  and  Kane  Basin. 
The  smallness  of  this 
tribe,  its  complete  isola- 
tion and  self-dependence, 
its  extreme  northerly  location,  the  stress  of  hostile 
conditions  under  which  it  maintains  its  existence,  the 
human  interest  connected  with  it  as  the  result  of  the 
writiui^s  of  Kane,  Hayes,  and  other  Arctic  exjjlorers, 
and  the  uncertainty  as  to  its  orii^-in  and  early  history, 
combine  to  place  it  at  the  head  of  the  list. 

Scattered  alonu^  the  shores  of  the   Arctic  oasis  al- 

'  No  fulness  of  detail,  no  specialism  lias  t)ceii  attcnijited  in  tins  cha|)tcr. 
Siu:h  treatment  is  impracticable  here  from  lack  of  spate.  I  ha\e  nuTely  en- 
deavoured to  sketch  ai;  outline  picture  whicli  shall  s'.iow  this  most  interesting^ 
people  in  their  true  li^ht,  and  do  justice  lo  tin-  te;'.rless.  liardy,  cheerful  little 
trilie  of  human  children  lor  whom  I  have  the  w.irmcst  rci^'ard. 

1  !iis  sketch  is  the  briefest  condeu'^ation  from  my  material,  liut  i'  contains 
sui^^estions  for  thoui;!it  for  the  most  cursory  as  well  as  the  most  studious  reader, 
and  It  cannot  fail  to  show  the  writer  ami  the  artist,  that  there  i-.  an  untouciied 
mine  of  material  awaiting  their  working,  in  these  chddren  of  the  North  and  their 
Arctic  oasis. 

479 


4<^o       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

ready  described,  this  little  trihj,  or  perhaps,  more 
properly  speakini;-,  family  of  Eskimos — for  they  num- 
Ijer  but  ^Avo  hundred  and  fifty-three'  in  all,  men, 
women,  and  children — is  found  maintaining;  its  ex- 
istence in  comi)lete  isolation  and  independence,  under 
the  utmost  stress  of  savaL^e  (Mivironment.  Without 
government ;  without  religion  ;  without  money  or  any 


A  TUPIK. 

standard  of  value  ;  without  written  language  ;  with- 
out property,  except  clothing  and  weapons  ;  their 
food  nothing  but  ineat,  blood,  and  blubber  ;  without 
salt,  or  any  substance  of  vegetable  origin  ;  their 
clothinLT  the  skins  of  birds  and  animals  ;  almost 
their  only  two  dejects  in   life,  something  to  eat  and 

'  Accurate  census  SeptemVier  i,  i8()5.  Hetweeu  this  date  and  August  <), 
l8c)6,  an  epidemic  of  influenza  reduced  their  number  to  22(_).  In  August, 
1897,  they  numbered  234. 


!*■ 


Appendix  II 


481 


something  with  which  to  clothe  themsL-lves,  and  their 
sole  occupation  the  striiL;L;l(;  for  these  objects  ;  with 
habits  and  conditions  of  life  hardly  above  the  ani- 
mal, these  people  seem  at  first  to  be  ver\-  near  the 
bottom  of  the  scale  of  civilisation  ;  yet  closer  ac([Uaint- 


AHSAYOO. 

Slunvini^  f-r>ii,U  Hair  of  tlic  Men. 

ance  shows  them  to   l)e  quick,   intellit^ent,  inij^enious, 
and  thorouj^dily  human. 

With  our  surroundins^^s  and  brinjj^inL^  up,  drawinjr 
as  we  do  upon  the  entire;  world  for  our  daily  wants, 
we  can  have  no  concej)tion  of  the  earlier  condition  of 
this  people  and  their  almost  inconceivable  destitution 

VOL,  I.— 31 


in 


h 


Appendix  II 


4H3 


and  restriction  as  to  materials,  dependent  for  ez'oy- 
/■///;/;'•  upon  a  few  miles  of  Arctic  coast-line.  To  them 
such  an  ordinary  thini^  as  a  piece  of  wood  was  just  as 
unattainable  as  is  the  moon  to  the  petulant  child  that 
cries  for  it.  Is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that  under  these 
circumstances  a  man  offered  me  his  dogs  and  sledge 
and  all  his  furs  for  a  bit  of  board  as  long  as  himself; 
that  another  offered  me  his  wife  and  two  children  for 
a  shining  knife  ;  and  that  a  woman  offered  me  every- 
thing- she  had  for  a  needle  ? 

They  are  a  community  of  children  in  their  simplicity, 
honesty,  and  happy 
lack  of  all  care  ;  of 
animals  in  their  sur- 
roundings, their 
food  and  habits  ;  of 
iron  men  in  their 
utter  disrefj-ard  of 
cold,  hunger,  and 
fatiixue  ;  of  beings 
of  high  intelligence 
in  the  construction 
and  use  of  the  im- 
plements of  the 
chase,  and  the  in- 
genious concentration  of  every  one  of  the  few  possi- 
bilities of  the  barren  country  which  is  their  home,  upon 
the  two  great  problems  of  their  existence — something 
to  eat,  and  something  to  wear.  The  accumulated 
experience  'f  generation  after  generation  has  taught 
them  bow  to  make;  \\\v.  most  of  ('V'.tr\-  one  ot  the  few 
poss  .)'!^  i-'s  of  their  barren  countr\',  in  the  wa\-  of 
afforu.  j^  sustenance,  chnhing,  comfort,  and  satety  ; 
and,  as  a  result,  they  are  as  independent  of  the  var\ing 
moods  of  their  frozen  habitat  as  are  other  i)eoples  of 
the  climatic  vairaries  of  more  <|enial  latitudes. 


WIFE  OF  SOKEK. 


tl 


I 


! 


484        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

Denizens  of  a  little  Arctic  oasis,  prisoned  on  the 
east  I)\'  the  towerint"-  wall  and  superstitious  terrors  of 
the  Sermiksoah,  or  "  (ireat  Ice"  ;  on  the  west  by  the 
waves  of  Smith  Sound  ;  on  the  north  by  the  crystal 
raiuparts  of  the  Flumboldt  Cdacier;  and  on  the  south 
by  the  strctch.ini^  miles  of  the  unknown  i^'laciers  of 
IVlelvillc  i)a\-,  th(^y  are  at  once  the  smallest,  the  most 
northerly,  and  most  unicjue  tribe  upon  the  earth,  and 


EATING  RAW  WALRUS  MEAT. 


perhaps  the  oldest  upon  the  Western  Hemisphere. 
Many  of  them  are  of  strikiuL^ly  Monsj^olian  type  of 
countenance  ;  all  of  them  possess  the  Oriental  char- 
acteristics of  mimicry,  inij^enuity,  and  patience  in 
mechanical  duplication  ;  and  their  appearance  indi- 
cates the  stronsj^  probability  of  the  correctness  of  the 
theory  advanced  by  Sir  Clements  Markham,  the  dis- 
tintruished  President  of  the   Royal  Geo^rraphical  So- 


A|)|)cnclix  II 


4^^5 


ciety  of  London.  This  theory  is,  in  hrii'f,  tliat  these 
people  are  the  remnants  of  an  ancient  Sii)erian  tril)e, 
the  (Jnkilon,  th(;  last  remains  of  which,  driven  from 
their  homes  and  out  on  to  the-  Arctic  Ocean  by  the 
fierce  waves  of  Tartar  invasion  in  the  Middle  Ajj^es, 
passed  to  tht;  New  Siberian  Islands,  and  thence  i^rad- 
ually  over  or  aloni^^  lands  as  \et  undiscovered.  j)er- 
haps    even   across   the    Pole   itself,   to   the    Northern 


TUNQWINGWAH   AND  HER  BABY. 

Greenland  Archipelago  and  Grinnell  Land,  and 
thence  southward  in  different  streams,  as  shown  to- 
day by  the  Eskimo  on  the  east  coast  of  Greenland  ; 
the  Eskimo  of  the  present  Danish  colonies  and 
the  Arctic  HiHilander  ;  and  the  Eskimo  of  north- 
ern  North  America  and  the  Ameri(ian  Arctic 
Archipelago, 

Among    other    facts    upon    which    this    theory    is 


•'■'  m 


li 


CO 

Cd 

06 
U 

01 

< 
u 

5 
o 

o 

z 

X 
H 
Ci) 

Cd 

< 

s 

(d 


Appendix  II 


4S7 


grounded,  are  the  stroiiL,^  resemljlance  of  the  stone 
dwellings  of  the  Arctic  Uit^hlantlcrs  to  ruins  of  sinii- 
hir  dwcllinLjs  discovered  in  Siberia.  There  are  also 
apparent  stron^j;;  pliysical  resemblances.  It  would 
seem  as  if  this  theory  were  likely  to  be  borne  out  by 
the  additional  facts  ob- 
tain (>d  by  me.  The  fa- 
cial characteristics  of 
many  indivitluals  in  the 
tribe  art;  notic(.'ably  Asi- 
atic. rh(;  obli([uely  set 
eyes  are  a  common  oc- 
currence. The  natural 
aptness  for  imitation 
shown  by  man)-  is  also 
strikini^ly  susj^tjj'estive  of 
a  Chinese  and  Jai>anese 
trait. 

An  interestinj^  inci- 
dent beariui^  upon  this 
came  up  in  connection 
with  the  brin^^ino  of  a 
young  girl  of  this  tribe 
to  the  United  States 
by  Mrs.  Peary  in  1S94. 
The  first  and  only  thing 
that  elicited  expressions 
of  vivid  surprise  and  as- 
tonishment from  this 
girl  was  the  sight  of  a 
Chinaman  upon  the 
street,  to  whom  she  im- 
mediately ran  and  at- 
tempted to  enter  into  conversation.  Later,  while  pass- 
ing alono-  the  streets  of  Washington,  slie  was  seen  by 
several  members  of  the  Chinese   Legation,  who  mi- 


MISS  BILL." 


Eykimo  Girl  Hiouj^ht  Home  by  Mrs. 
I'eary  in  1894. 


V 


(A 


4<^<S       Northward  over  the  "  Great  lee" 


m(;( 


liatcl) 


surrounc 


led  h 


1  h 


vr  and   hcLMn 


talk 


ini^ 


to  h 


er 


in  tlic  Chinese  lanu^uajj^c,  (evidently  mistaking;  h(;r  for 
one  of  their  own  countrywomen. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  has  heen  imi)ossible  to  obtain 
any  satisfactory  information  from  these'  people  as  to 


th 
th 
Th 


e  threction   from  w 


diich 


ey   oriLj^i  naiiy   came 


11 


ey  nav^e  a  <jfener 


il  id 


ea 
of  land  far  to  the  north. 
Tlu^y  are  aware  that  the 
land  is  inhabited  by  the 
musk-ox,  and  there  are 
misty  trailitions  of  the 
existence,  somewhere  in 
that  rej^ion,  of  a  race  much 
lari^er  than  themselves. 
Yet  the  only  mij^rations 
which  can  be  fixed  defin- 
itely are  from  the  west 
side  of  Baffin  Hay  and 
Davis  Strait.  Two  such 
accessions  to  their  numl)er 
have  occurred  within  the 
memory  of  livin_!^^  individ- 
uals of  the  tribe.  Both  of 
these  miij^rations  consisted 
of  one  or  two  families  each, 
and  there  are  now  livin^r 
in  the  tribe  five  individuals 
who  were  born  on  the 
western  side.  In  connection  with  one  of  these,  an 
old  hunter,  an  interestinij  incident  occurred. 

During-  the  houKnvard  voyai^e  of  the  /w/r  we 
touched  at  Dexterity  Harbour,  on  the  west  side  of 
l^af^n  Bay,  and  found  there  a  considerable  settlement 
of  the  west-side  natives.      In  conversation  with  these 


FIGURE  OF  8-YEAR-OLD  GIRL. 


n 


AppL'iulix  II 


4S9 


natives,  we  Icarnccl  tliat  tlicy  knew  of  this  luintcr  and 
his  sister,  and  one  old  woman  in  the  villaL;('  iiad, 
when  a  <;irl,  seen  iiim,  l)ut  slic  said  that  lie  liad  '^onv. 
north  years  ai^o,  and  then  (hsapjx'arcd.  no  one  knew 
where,  Tliey  ('X[)r('ssc.'d  the  hveHest  interest  in  liear- 
inn"  al)Out  liini,  and 
from  them  we  learned 
that  as  a  youni,'-  man 
this  same  hunter  had 
Hved  at  various  times 
all  the  way  from  Cum- 
berland (iulf  to  the 
shores  of  MUesmere 
Land,  north  of  Jones 
Sound.  There  seemed 
to  be  no  possible 
chance  for  this  to  be 
a  case  of  mistaken 
identity,  as  the  sister 
of  this  hunter  was  a 
deaf-mute,  and  these 
people  spoke  of  this 
in  describiuL,^  her. 

The  study  of  this 
tribe,  and  the  collec- 
tion of  accurate  infor- 
mation in  rejj^ard  to  it, 
have  been  anions-  the 
objects  of  my  varifrus 
expeditions,  antl  the 
opportunities  for  such 
study,  owino^  to  the  smallness  of  the  tribe,  and  its  soli- 
tary imprisonment  anions-  thv2  o;reat  Arctic  o;laciers, 
totrether  with  its  especialh'  kindly  and  tractable  dis- 
position, have  made  it  possible  to  ol)tain  many  valuable 
data  in  reijard  to  its  customs  and  habits,  and  in  par- 


NUPSAH. 
Showing  Male  l'hysi(|iie. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


A 


1.0     If'-  I 


I.I 


1.25 


4S 

SO 


112.5 


2.0 


1-4    11.6 


V] 


<? 


/] 


7: 


"c1 


c».    .oy^  ^^;> 


* 


'/ 


.^ 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


fe 


Yj 


490       Northward  over  the  "Great  lee" 


ticular  to  scciin^  an  ahsolutL'ly  coinj)lete  and  accurate 
census  of  the  tribe,  with  ethnoloL,ncal  descri[)tions  and 
photoLjraphs. 

That  the  tribe  was  orii^inally  much  more  nunu-rous 

tlian  at  present  seems  to  be 
borne  out,  not  only  by  tlieir 
own  statement,  but  by  the  ex- 
istence of  many  ancient  i^^loos 
all  alonL(  the  coast,  from  liush- 
nan  Island  nearly  to  tlu;  Hum- 
boldt Glacier.  There  seems 
to  be  also  a  definite  tradition 
that,  in  years  past,  the  climate 
was  different  from  what  it  is 
now,  not,  perhaps,  any  warmer, 
but  with  much  less  wind  and 
foL'"  aloPL^  the  coast.  That  the 
tribe  previous  to  my  visit  was 
either  incrc^asinjj^  or  decreasing- 
in  numbers  I  should  bestronj^dy 
inclined  to  tloubt,  it  beini^  prob- 
able that  nature's  balance  be- 
tween the  population  and  the 
food-producinsj^  cai)abilities  of 
the  countrv  had  been  estab- 
lished  f(M'  generations. 

iUit  since  my  Ih'st  expedition 
in  1 89 1  there  has  been  a  marked 
preponderance  of  the  birth- 
rate over  the  death-rate,  until 
the  epidemic  of  i  S95- 1 S96  deci- 
mated tile  tribe,  carryini^  off 
eleven  per  cent.  In  the  year  since,  the  birth-ratt;  is 
ai^ain  in  excess.  This  is  tlue,  I  have  no  doubt,  to  the 
improved  weapons  and  implements  which  I  have  jL^iven 
them,  and  which  have  increased  the  lumtiuL^  effective- 


NUPSAH. 

Showing  Male  I'hysiiiue. 


mim''     |^»      I  ^ 


J' 

I 

f 


lilWiH 

^^SfKWIHfVI 

;'■ 

'^ftMl^'ClkS^^^M^ 

il-:/                     f     ,1- 

f 

^^H^^^L^vvflK'  jM^Hm^PI^^RH 

^^^^^^^^^I^^^^^h^^^^^^^^^^^^^H^hi!a  ''''^E^R^ 

;'■  ? 

HiB 

^i^^K^I^^^H 

^-^  1 J 

i.i'' 

,^ife> 

.^^^^R 

^wi 

rH^ 

«^ 

fcj^.  .1' 

P 

f^mii 

i<5%:5 

t  St  ^T  'Xi^kflB 

!^i 

[MnfiyH 

'^^^^^I^I^Bti 

^^^Bu'  ifpl  ^J^CTJ^MflW 

vSIKc^iMh^IuI 

U] 


(A 


o 


^■92        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


ness  of  the  males  at  least  one  hundred  per  cent.,  and 
have  therefore  kept  the  tribe  better  nourished  and  in 
better  condition  to  withstand  the  severities  which  are 
their  daily  lot.  That  this  increase  will  be  very  con- 
siderable or  continucxl  for  any  leni^th  of  time  is  not 
likely,  as  the  balance  will  ai^ain  be  adjusted. 

In  disposition  and  tempc^rament  these  people  are  a 

race  of  children, 
simple,  kindly, 
cheerful,  and  hos- 
[)itable.  In  jjowers 
of  endurance,  in 
certain  directions, 
they  probably  are 
not  surjiassed  by 
any  other  known 
race,  and  in  their 
inn^enuity  and  the 
intellii^ence  dis- 
played in  makini*' 
use,  to  the  fullest 
extent,  of  every 
one  of  the  few  pos- 
sibilities of  their 
country  which 
can  assist  them  to 
live  and  be  com- 
they  are,  in  my  opinion,  ahead  of  any  other 
race.      Of  arts,  sciences,  culture,  manufac- 


WRESTLING. 


fortable, 

aboriginal 

tures,    and   such    other  adjuncts  of  civilisation,   they 

know  nothini--. 

There  is  no  form  of  government  amono-  them,  no 
chief,  each  man  beino-  supreme  in  his  own  family,  and 
literally  and  absolutely  his  own  master.  Such  a  thin_n' 
as  real-estate  interest  is  unknown  to  them.  Every 
man  owns  the  whole  country  and  can  locate  his  house 


Appendix  II 


493 


and  hunt  where  his  fancy  dictates.  The  products  of 
the  hunts  are  common  property  with  sh'ght  Hmitations, 
as,  for  example,  anything  smaller  than  a  seal  is  the 
property  of  the  hunter  who  captures  it ;  yet,  unwritten 
laws  require  him  to  be  generous  even  with  this,  if  he 
can  do  so  without  starving  his  own  family.      Personal 


BOXING. 


possessions  are  of  necessity  very  limited,  consisting 
almost  entirely  oi  clothing,  travelling  cciuipnu'nts, 
weapons  and  implemiMits,  and  a  single  skin  tent  or 
tupik.  Every  man  is  his  own  tailor,  shocnidker, 
boat-builder,  house  carpenter,  and  (everything  else  ;  in 
other  words,  each  family  is  litc:rally  and  absoliitcely 
independent  and  self-supporting,  and   could  continue 


494       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

its  existence  for  an  indefinite  Icnt^th  of  time  without 
external  assistance. 

Their  ideas  of  astronomy  are  definite,  tlioui^h 
necessarily  limited.  They  recoj^nise  the  Great  l)i])- 
per  as  a  herd  of  reindeer  ;  tlie  three  trianij^ular  stars 
of  Cassiopeia  are  the  three  stones  supportini;  a  celestial 
stone  lamp  ;  the  Pleiades  are  a  team  of  do^i^s  in 
pursuit  of  a  hear  ;  tin-  three  ^litterintj;^  hrilliants  of  the 
belt  of  Orion  are  the  steps  cut  hy  some  celestial 
Eskimo  in  a  steep  snow-hank  to  enahle  him  to  climh 
to  the  top  ;  Gemini  are  two  stones  in  the  entrance  to 


HpF  'i^JI^SlJih.^  ^w^aiiMc*  M^A                                V^^^^^^ 

HEnopuupBaK^        ^^^^ 

^^^F         m 

miMi^^^^^^^B|L    ^VuVivistijk 

f  w*f^^?y^^Whi 

WmJr^ 

f  '^a 

>        i 

p  jg;_^ 

hi 

ps?r^ , 

M^ 

ARM  PULL. 


an  igloo  ;  Arcturus  and  Aldeharan  are  personifica- 
tions ;  and  the  moon  and  sun  are  a  maiden  and  her 
pursuing  lover.  These  Eskimos  estimate  time  hy 
the  movements  of  the  stars,  as  well  as  hy  the  position 
of  the  sun,  and  yet,  less  ohservant  than  were  the  Arah 
shepherds,  they  have  not  noticed  that  one  star  is  the 
centre  about  which  all  the  others  move,  nor  have  they 
set  apart  the  plaiK.'ts,  which  to  them  are  simply  large 
stars.  Prohahly  this  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  move- 
ments of  stars  can  be  ohserved  during  only  three 
months  of  the  year. 


1 
i 


z 
< 
s 

O 

o  ^ 

S    d 

tn    a. 

Ed      • 

V 

Z    ? 

<  z 


Ci. 

o 

D 
(- 
CO 
O 

u 


X 


n 
i 


49^        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 

As  regards  morals,  these  peoi)!^  do  not  stand  hi^h 
accordinLj  to  our  scale.  The  wife  is  as  much  a  piece 
of  personal  j)rop(-'rty  which  may  he  sold,  exchanL,^ed, 
loaned,  or  horrowetl,  as  a  sled^^^e  or  a  canoe.  It 
must  he  said  in  tlu-ir  favour,  however,  that  children  as 
well  as  ajred  and  infirm  memhers  of  the  trihe  are  w^ell 


WRIST  PULL. 


taken  care  of,  and  that  for  the  former  the  parents 
evince  the  Hveliest  affection. 

There  seems  to  he  no  marriage  ceremony.  The 
matrimonial  arrangement  is  frequently  perfected  hy 
the  parents  while  the  parties  are  children. 

As  the  female  is  eliirihle  for  marriap;e  much  earlier 


Appendix  II 


497 


than  thti  malt,',  a  i^nrl  may  l)c  ai)i)n)i)riat(.Hi  1)\'  a  man 
\vli()S(!  wife  lias  dictl,  hcforc  Iut  intcncu'tl  is  old  cnoiiL^h 
to  marr\-.  This  arrain/c-mcnt  may  contimu',  or  her 
intcnclecl  may  claim  h^T  when  he  is  old  enoiiL;h.  This 
is  lari^c'ly  a  matter  of  mutual  anj^recmcnt. 

YouiiLj  couples  fre(iuently  chaii^H;  |)artners  several 
times  in  the  first  )'ear  or  two,  till  both  are  suitc;d, 
when  th(;  union  is  practically  permanent,  except  for 
temporary  periods  tlurin}^  which  an  exchange  may  he 
effected  with  another  man,  or  the  wife  loaned  to  a 
friend. 


TUG  OF  WAR. 


As  the  males  are  considerably  in  excess  there  is 
a  constant  demand  for  wives,  and  jj^irls  frequently 
marry  while  still  as  fiat-chested  and  lank-hipped  as 
a  boy. 

Though  not  lacking  in  warmth  of  blood  they  are 
not  a  prolific  people.  The  females  arrive  at  the  age 
of  puberty  neither  very  early  nor  very  late,  but  ac- 
cording to  their  own  statements  they  never  have  chil- 
dren, even  wi  h  every  possible  provocation,  till  at  least 
three  years  later,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  state- 
ment is  substantially  correct. 


VOL.  I.— 32 


49'"^       Northward  over  the  ''(jrcat  Ico  " 

Motherhood  and  the;  various  f(Miialc  functions  cause 
tliem  hardly  if  any  more  inconvcnicMicc  than  is  the 
case  with  animals. 

Of  rt'liirjon,  properly  speakin<r,  thc^y  have  none. 
The  n(,'ar(,'st  approach  to  it  is  simply  a  collection  of 
miscellaneous  superstitions  and  beliefs  in  Li^ood  and 
evil  spirits.  It  may  he  said,  in  relation  to  this  lattirr 
subject,  that  information  in  regard  to  it  is  extremely 


ESKIMOS  IN  THEIR  KAYAKS. 

difficult  to  obtain,  and  probably  the  bottom  facts  of 
the  matter  will  be  known  only  when  some  enthusiast 
is  willing  to  devote  five  or  six  years  of  his  time  to 
Hving  wdth  them  and  doing  as  they  do,  becoming  in 
fact  one  of  them. 

In  physical  appearance  the  members  of  the  tribe 
are  below  the  average  stature,  generally  well  built, 
plump  and  rounded  in  figure,  and  deceptively  heavy. 


r 


Aj)i)ciuli\  II 


499 


Tlic  popular  i(!ra  that  the  people  of  this  trihc  arc 
of  small  s'\/A'.  is,  in  general,  triu;  ;  hut  there  are  com- 
parative Li^iaiUs  amoiiLi'  them,  and  I  could  name  seve-ral 
who  stand  in  the  nei^hhouriuxHl  of  five  feet  ten,  ami 
weii^h  from  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  to  one  hun- 
dred antl  eii^htN-four  j)()unds,  n(.!t.  A  man  of  tht'sc 
dimensions,  when  dressed  in  his  midwinter  costunu.' 
of  hear-  and  tleerskin,  looms  up  like  a  Colossus.  The 
women  are  (juite  small,  but  th(.;y,  as  well  as  the  men, 
are  very  solid,  and  extremely  deceptive;  as  to  weisj^ht. 
The  muscular  tlevelop- 
ment  of  the  men  is  aston- 
ishinij^,  hut  here  a*^ain  they 
are  very  deceptive  in  ap- 
pearance, the  external  cov- 
erini;  of  blubber,  which 
tiiey  possess  in  common 
with  the  seal,  the  walrus, 
and  the  bc^ar,  destroyin_<( 
the  differentiation  of  their 
great  muscles,  and  <^iv- 
ini;  them  a  smooth  and 
rounded  appearance. 

Were  it  not  for  their 
dirtiness  and  the  unpleasant  odours  resultiuL;  from 
their  mode  of  life,  many  of  them,  of  both  sexes,  would 
be  by  no  means  disai^reeable  of  presence.  In  re'sji^ard 
to  the  younjj^er  members  of  the  tribe  in  particular, 
while  their  faces  are  not  by  any  means  perfect,  there 
seems  to  be  a  o^enerally  pleasini^  expression,  especiall)' 
when  interested  or  eni^aj^ed  in  conversation. 

Their  clothing  is  com[)Osed  entirely  of  furs  and  skins 
of  animals  and  birds,  and,  in  pattern  and  adaptation  of 
each  material  to  a  certain  purpose,  is  the  result  (jf  an 
evolution  extending  through  gcMieration  after  gen(;ra- 
tion,  until  to-day  the    Eskimo  dress  may  be  consid- 


POOADLOONAH. 


ill 


^ 

.^ 

w  ■' 

IH^^jM  "^^  \JP  .X^V^I 

w 

^ 

4/  • 

ft 

t 

*> ...  IvC 

1^1 

fl  1  -'    -^'^^^p^ 

-  • 

_    V%  .X  SjJL 

\ 

il 

-  ■«' 

1 

^Bk^  ^4CF^mE£^T^^^^     ^^^^^^1 

.  "■■■ ) 


1  ■ 

01 

< 
u 
CO 

Ci] 
X 
H 

b. 
O 

a: 
u 

H 
O 


T3 

C 
u 

u 
o 

e 

IS 

M 

u 

c 

< 


Appendix  II 


501 


vrvA  pi'rfi'ct  tor  the  loiiditioiis  iiiidcr  which  it  is  worn. 
ThcR!  is  a  ditirrciH-c,  chiclly  in  the  upper  ^armi'iUs, 
bctwriii  the  suiiinicr  and  winter  dress,  tile  foruK-r  ron- 
sistinLi-  of  sealskin,  hirds'cin,  and  bearskin  ;  the  hitte-r 
of  deer-,  fox-,  and  bearskin. 


BRAIDING  A  BOWSTRING. 


Their  habitations  in  summer  consist  of  tupiks,  or 
tents,  of  sealskin,  and  in  winter  of  i<^doos  built  of  stones 
chinked  with  moss,  covered  with  moss  and  turf,  and 
^>anked  in  with  snow.  In  the  spring  and  when  travel- 
ling, a  snow  igloo  built  of  cut  blocks  of  snow  serves  as 
a  dwelling.'      For  sustenance  these  people  depend  en- 

'  The  winter  hahitations  of  the  Whale-Sound  Kskinios  are  known  under  the 
general  term,  it;h><>.  Tliere  are  really  tiiiee  varieties  of  these  dvvellin};s,  to  only- 
one  of  which  is"^the  name  igh'o  applied  by  the  Kskinios  themselves  : 

1st,  ii;/,h>.—a.  hut  the  walls  and  entire  roof  of  which   are  built  solely  of  stones. 

2d,' /•(/«i'W"//,  — a  hut  the  walls  and  a  portion  only  of  the    roof,  or  perhai)s 


502        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice  " 

tircly  upon  the  resuks  of  the  hunt,  which  is  enercrctic- 
ally  prosecuted  whenever  practicable  aii^ainst  the  wal- 
rus, the  seal,  the  deer,  the  bear,  narwhal,  white  whale, 


STRETCHING  A  SEALSKIN  TO  DRY. 

fox,  and  hare.  While  they  can  hardly  be  said  to  be 
hunted,  )'et  thousands  and  thousands  of  sea-birds,  little 

the  walls  only,  of  wliicli  are  hu  li  of  stones,  the  ga\<  in  the  roof  being  covered 
with   skins. 

3cl,  /;'■/( '('I ',(■//, — a  lull  built  enti'-ly  of  snow  blocks. 

The  igloos  ])ro|)er  were  nndounledly  all  built  generations  ago,  when  the  peo- 
ple had  absolutely  no  wood,  and  their  rude  weapons  enabled  them  to  cajiture 
barely  enough  game  to  furnisli  skins  for  their  clotiiing,  without  any  to  spare  for 
covering  their  houses. 

The  kangmah  is  merely  a  simiilified  igloo,  rendered  jio'-sible  by  the  increased 
prosperity  of  the  tribe.  It  is  much  easier  to  build  only  the  narrower  portion  of 
the  roof  of  stones,  and  cover  the  remainder  with  sealskins  laid  across  sticks  and 
covered  in  with  turf.  And  it  is  a  still  further  economy  of  labour,  if  a  man  (as  is 
often  the  case  now)  has  two  tupiks,  or  sealskin  tents,  to  merely  build  the  walls  of 
his  igloo,  and  then  roof  it  over  entiiely  with  his  second-best  tupik,  folded  and 
laid  upon  jioles,  then  covered  with  turf  and  snow. 


Appendix  II 


50; 


JV 


auks  and  looms,  are  obtained  with  nets  and  stored  for 
winter  use. 

Of  these  various  animals,  the  seal  is  perha[)s  the 
staple,  with  the  walrus  next.  The  meat  of  these  two 
animals  is  about  equally  prized,  and  the  blubber  is 
equally  valuable  for  cookinir  purposes  and  forhcatino- 
the  houses.     Next  come  the  narwhal  and  the  white 


illit 

1 .                  .   ■-<■       1. 

.    ^^ij^-s.J*.". 

■i^k  ,  A : --^ — i— 1 

MAKING  A  HARPOON  LINE. 


whale,  then  the  bear,  while  the  deer,  fox,  and  hare 
form  a  very  small  item  in  the  l^skimo  menu,  and  may 
be  considered  rather  as  delicacies  than  as  staples. 

As  for  occupation,  these  people  may  be  said  to  have 
but  one,  namely,  huntinL,^  and  the  construction  and 
keepin_!^  in  repair  of  the  wn-apons  and  accessories  re- 
quired by  it.  iM-om  the  return  of  the  sun  till  its  de- 
parture,  the  various   animals  are   hunted   in    turn    in 


1  ] 


504       Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 

accordance  with  the  season  and  locality  ;  and  durinLr 
the  winter  tlie  surplus  suj)!)!)  of  UK.'at  obtained  durin^r 
the  huntint^  season  is  consumed  in  carryiuL^  the  tribe 
throu_u-h  the  dark  ni^ht.  I)urin_o;  this  nii^dit  there  are 
thr(H!  moons,  an(l  the  lioht  afforded  by  each  of  these 
is  utilised  by  the  natives  in  travellinj^^  bt^tween  the 
different  settlements  and  paying  their  annual  calls  ;  an 


STRETCHING  A  HARPOON  LINE. 


amusement  varic;d  fre([uently  b\-  the  excitem(;i't  of  a 
moonlight  contlict  with  a  polar  bear. 

Their  amusements  are  few.  In  summer  there  are 
tests  of  strength  between  the  nouul;-  men  of  tile  tribe, 
consisting-  of  wrestlinsj;-.  i)ullin_L;-,  lilting-,  and  a  rude 
kind  of  boxing'.  in  winter  the  sole  amustmients  are 
marital  pleasures,  antl  the  soiil^s  and  improvisations 
of  the  ai/oakoks,  or  medicine-men.  of  the  tribe.       In 


a 
z 

D 
X 


o 

a 
> 

< 

X 

o 


o 
Z 


5o6        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


the  choruses  of  these  the  entire  assembled  company 
join. 

In  several  ways  tliese  Eskimos  are  unique  amon;^ 
aborii^dnal  trii)es,  and  their  idiosyncrasies  in  these 
matters  compel  my  admiration  and  respect. 

They  have  no  unnatural  or  depraved  appetites  or 
habits  ;  no  stimulants  or  intoxicants  ;  no  narcotics  ; 
no  slow  poisoniuL^.  Nor  tlo  they  in  any  way  muti- 
late or  disfiL^nire  the  form  the  Cn^ator  L,rave  them,  or 
modify  or  pervert  tlie  natural  functions.  Neither 
have  they  any  medicines.  Their  diseases  are  princi- 
pally rheumatism  and  lun^-  and 
rl:)ronchial  troubles.  The  causes 
of  death  amou!:^'-  the  men  come 
^H^  largely  under  the  terse  W'estt-rn 

JH^^I  expression,    "  with    their    boots 

on. 

A  ka}'ak  capsizes,  and  the  oc- 
cupant is  hurled  into  the  icy 
water  ;  a  hunter  harpoons  a  wal- 
rus or  bearded  seal  from  the 
ice,  a  bit'ht  of  the  line  catches 
round  arm  or  leg",  and  the  big" 
brute  drags  him  under  to  his  death  ;  an  iceberg  cap- 
sizes as  he  is  passing  it ;  a  rock  or  snow-slide  from  the 
steep  shore  cliffs  crushes  him  ;  or  a  bear  tears  him 
mortally  with  a  stroke  of  his  paw  ;  and  so  on.  Occa- 
sionally, in  the  past,  starvation  has  wiped  out  an  en- 
tire village. 

On  the  death  of  a  man  or  woman,  the  body,  fully 
dressed,  is  laid  straight  upon  its  back  on  a  skin  or 
two,  and  some  extra  articles  of  clothing  placed  upon 
it.  It  is  then  covered  with  another  skin,  and  the 
whole  covered  in  with  a  low  stone  structure,  to  pro- 
tect the  body  from  dogs,  foxes,  and  ravens.  A  lamp 
with  some  blubber  is  placed  close  to  the  grave ;  and 


FACE  CARVED  FROM  VER- 
TEBRA OF  NARWHAL. 


Appendix  II 


507 


if  the  deceased  is  a  man,  his  sledij^e  and  kayak,  with  his 
weapons  and  implements,  are  placed  close  by,  and  his 
favourite  doi^^s,  harnessed  and  attached  to  the  sh-dj^^e, 
are  strangled  to  accompany  him.  If  a  woman,  her 
cookinLT-utensils,  and  the 
frame  on  which  she  has 
dried  the  family  boots  and 
mittens,  are  placed  beside 
the  i^rave.  If  she  has  a 
doi^,  it  is  stranorled  to  ac- 
company her ;  and  if  she 
has  a  baby  in  the  hood,  it, 
too,  must  die  with  her. 

If  the  death  occurred  in 
a  tent,  the  poles  are  re- 
moved, allowinij^  it  to  set- 
tle down  over  the  site,  and 
it  is  never  used  aLii^ain,  but 
rots  or  is  finally  blown 
away.  If  the  death  oc- 
curred in  an  i,gloo,  it  is 
vacated  and  not  used  ai^ain 
for  a  louL^  time. 

The  relatives  of  the  de- 
ceased must  observe  cer- 
tain formalities  in  regard 
to  clothiniT  and  food  for 
a  certain  time  ;  the  name 
of  the  dead  person  is  never 
spoken,  and  any  other 
members  of  the  tribe  who 
have  the  same  name  must  assume  another  until  the 
arrival  of  an  infant,  to  which  the  name  can  be  ap- 
plied, removes  the  ban. 

To  many  a  good  person  the  thought  at  once  arises  : 
"  Poor  things  ;  why  don't  we  send  some  missionaries 


KOODLOOKTOO. 

Effect  of  Civilisation  ui)on  the  Rising 
Generation  of  Smith-Sound  Eskimos. 


5o8        Northward  over  the  "(ircat  Ice" 


to    them,    and    convert    or   civihsc  them  ?     Or,   why 
would  n't  it  he  a  i^ood  phm  to  take  them  away  from 


th 


eir  aw 


fill  h 


o 


me  to  a  pleasanter  region 


T 


o  bo 


th 


these   I  answer  at  once,  "God  willing,  never,  either 


.-i» 


When  I  think  of  the  mixed  race  in  South  Greenland, 
which,  in  spite  of  the  fostering-  care  of  the  Danish 
Government,  is  still  like  most  lialf-breed  human  pro- 
ducts, inferior  to  either  original  stock  ;  when  I  recall 
the  miserable  wretches  aloni^-  the  west  coast  of  iiaf- 
tm  Ba\',  vile  with  disease,  vitiated  with  rum,  tobacco, 
and  contact  \A'ith  the  whalers,  and  then  think  oi  my 
uncontaminated,  pure-blooded,  vigorous,  faithful  little 
tribe,  I  say:  "No;  God  o-rant  no  civilisation  to  curse 
them."  \\'hat  I  have  done  in  the  past,  and  shall  con- 
tinue to  do  in  the  future,  is  to  put  them  in  a  little 
better  position  to  carry  on  their  stru!^)^de  for  exist- 
ence ;  jrive  them  better  weapons  antl  implements, 
lumber  to  make  their  dwc'llin^s  dr\er,  instructions  in 
a  few  fundamental  sanitary  principh.'s,  and  one  or  two 
items  of  civilised  food,  as  coffee  and  biscuit, — allies 
to  rout  the  demons,  starvation  and  cold. 

As  I  sit  here  writinj^  now  I  can  see  them,  already 
within  the  shadow  of  the  "  (ireat  Ni^ht,"  in  their  little 
stone  igloos  perched  upon  the  shore  of  the  frozen  sea, 
the  soft  lii^ht  of  their  oil  lamps  ij^lowiuL;-  into  the  savage 
cold  and  darkness  from  door  and  sealskin  window. 
And  many  a  familiar  face  rises  in  memor)' : 

Old  Komonahpik,  with  his  bronzed,  impassive  face, 
careful  and  thoroui^^hly  reliable,  my  bow  oar  and  har- 
pooner  ;  Nooktah,  my  faithful  hunter  and  doi^  driver  ; 
smiling  baby  Anador  ;  handsome  Sipsu  ;  Merktoshar, 
the  one-eyed  bear  hunt(^r  of  Netiulumi,  famous 
throughout  the  tribe  for  many  a  single-handed  strug- 
gle with  the  polar  bear,  the  "  tiger  of  the  North." 
Though  one  eye  had  been  destroyed  by  a  knife-thrust 
when,  as  a  young  man,  in  a  desperate  struggle  with 


Appendix  II 


509 


the  tattooed  men  of  tlu-  west,  far  out  across  the  frozen 
surface  of  the  Sound,  he;  had  captured  his  first  wife, 
the  remainini^  eye,  L;litterinn"  throu^li  the  strangling 
veil  of  liis  long  black  hair,  saw  as  much  as  any  three 
others  in  the  entire  tribe.  It  was,  in  fact,  the  only 
sign  of  life  about  him,  (;xcept  when  the  huge  tracks 
of  his  favourite  ganu;  llashed  ever)'  nerve  and  muscle 
into  savage  excitement.  Then  there  was  l\.\()ahj)adu, 
the  aiioa/cok;  Ootoonia,  K\<)gwito,  and  M\()uk,  the 
three  good-natured  giant  brothers  of  Narksarsomi  ; 
Kessuh  anil  Nupsah,  the  dashing  duties  of  Cape 
York  ;  Kessuh,  or  the  "  .Smiler,"  the  walrus  killer  of 
Ittibloo  ;  with  his  lialf-witted  brother  Arningana,  or 
the  "  Moon "  ;  Tukoomingwah,  tin;  child-britle  of 
Kookoo  ;  bright-faced  Alakasingwah  ;  '1  artarah,  the 
kittiwake  ;  Aki)alia  ;  the  "  X'illain  "  ;  "  Misfortune  "  ; 
the  "  Vox  "  ;  and  the  "  Conu^dian." 

Fortunately  for  them,  with  no  [possessions  to  ex- 
cite cupidit)-,  with  a  land  in  which  no  one  but  them- 
sel\es  could  conquer  a  living,  the\-  are  like'U'  to  be 
left  in  peace,  to  live  out  the  part  appointed  them  1)\- 
the  Creator,  untlisturbed  1)\'  efforts  to  understantl 
the  white  man's  ideas  of  God,  of  right,  of  morality, 
and  uncontaminated  by  his  vices  or  diseases,  till  the 
"Great  Nioht"entls  forever,  and  the  "Great  Ice" 
dissolves  in  the  convulsions  of  the  last  day. 


I 


1'^ 


GENERAL  NOTE  TO  FIGURE  ILLUSTRATIONS 

IN  APPENDIX    II. 


It  is  to  be  observed,  in  connection  with  the  numerous 
partially  nude  fi^nires  in  this  appendix,  that  it  is  not  the  usual 
custom  of  the  Eskimos  to  omit  porti(Mis  of  their  clothinir. 
It  was  done  at  my  request  in  order  to  show  physique  and 
muscular  development.  In  calm  sunny  days  in  June,  July, 
and  August  there  is  no  physical  discomfort  in  such  jxirtial 
nudity,  even  in  that  latitude. 

NOTE  TO  FULL-PAGE  PICTURE,  "COSTUME  OF  AN 
ESKIMO  WOMAN,"  APPENDIX  11. 

Figure  i  shows  a  young  woman  of  the  Whale-Sound  Es- 
kimos in  full  summer  costume  composed  of  nine  separate 

pieces,  viz. : 

Hooded  sealskin  coat    ...     I. 

Hooded  birdskin  shirt  ...      I. 

Foxskin  trousers i. 

Sealskin  boots 2. 

Deerskin  stockings   ....     2. 

Sealskin   mittens 2. 

Figure  No.  2  shows  side  view  of  the  same  costume. 
Figure  No.  3  shows  the  sealskin  coat,  removed. 
Figure  No.  4  shows  the  sealskin  coat  and  boots,  removed. 
Figure  No.  5  shows  entire  costume,  except  foxskin  trousers, 
removed. 

NOTE  TO  PICTURE,  "  GRAVE  OF  AN  ESKIMO 
HUN  TER,"  FULL-PAGE,  APPENDIX  II. 

Grave  of  Maksah  in  the  Talus  of  the  Cape-York  Cliffs. 
The  body  lies  under  the  pile  of  stones  in  the  right  foreground. 
Beyond  it  is  the  hunter's  sledge  with  his  weapons  lashed 
upon  it ;  and  still  farther  in  the  background  are  two  dogs, 
harnessed  and  attached  to  the  sledge,  then  strangled  to  ac- 
company their  master.  To  the  left,  under  a  boulder,  is  his 
treasure  chest,  containing  the  hunter's  tools  and  valuables. 
In  the  distance  are  the  waters  of  Cape-York  Bay,  and  the 
Cape-York  Glacier.  Maksah  received  his  death  wounds  in 
a  hand-to-hand  struggle  with  a  Polar  bear.  This  picture  is 
typical. 

510 


CKNSUS  OF    THK  SMirH-SOUNI)  ESKIMOS, 
Ai;(iLSr  31,   r.S95.' 

ij:k. 

(Nanu-s  of  males  in  black-faced  type  ;  >>{  females  in  roman.) 
*  *  Indicates  deceased  in  ei)ideniic  of  i'>o5-(;(i. 
f  indicates  west-coast   natives   who  have  cro-.-.ed   Smitii   Sound   to   the 
Greenland  side. 


NAM1-: 

Ah'-bee-lah 
Ah'-bee-lah 

Ah'-ga-tah 

*  *  Ah-gee'-tclier 

*  *  Ah-go'-tah 

Ah-go-tok'-suah 

Ah-kah-tiny'-wah 
Ah-kah-tin^'-wah 
f  Ali-ki-t,M-ah  -soo 
Ah-lcr'-kah 
Ah-lce'-kah 


*  * 


NAMR 

Ah-let'-tah 

Ah'-inah 

Ali-mc'-mia 

Ah-ming'-wah 

Ah-niing-'wah 

Ali'-iic-nah 

Ahng-een'-yah 

Aliiig-liiiij,'-\vah 
Ahng-mo-dok'-too 

A  hug'- 11  ah 
Ahnir-nah'-ilia 


'  This  census  I  l)clieve  to  he  absolutely  correct,  it,  as  well  as  a  complete 
genealogy  of  the  tril)e,  is  entirely  the  result  of  l.ee's  patient,  ]iersuvering  work, 
and  as  with  evcrytJiin;^'  else  that  was  as^iirned  to  him,  he  went  al  it  with  the  in- 
tention of  having  it  right.  At  fust  his  persistent  in(|uirics  after  their  chihlren, 
relatives,  and  ancestt)rs  were  regarded  with  a  certain  degiee  of  susjjicion  bv  the 
natives,  but  tinally  they  came  to  look  upon  it  as  a  harmless  indication  of  ndld 
insanit}',  and  since  I.ee  was  n't  a  half-i)ad  fellow,  he  might  as  well  l)e  iiumoured 
in  it.  He  never  let  an  o|iportunity  slij).  While  wailing  in  an  igloo  for  our 
tea  to  l)rew,  after  a  long  sledge  journey,  Lee  would  cross-examine  every  native 
present  as  to  his  or  iier  children,  sisters,  cousins,  aunts,  etc.,  and  frequcntlv 
during  our  arduous  winter  trips,  if  our  sledges  ranged  r.longside  on  a  bit  of 
smooth  going.  (  would  hear  him  deejily  engaged  with  his  driver  endeavouring  to 
straighten  out  some  knotty  prolilems  of  rel.Uiondup,  or  jierhaps  trying  to  secure 
the  names  of  the  driver's  great-grandmother's  children.  lie  frequently  found 
it  somewhat  difficult  to  trace  ancestry  or  descent  on  the  paternal  side,  and 
many  of  his  questions  elicited  answers  which  here  wouhl  be  considered  emliar- 
rassing  to  say  the  least,  but  there  were  accomi)aiued  by  audilile  smiles  in  which 
the  entire  company  would  join. 

sll 


*  **  1 

t 


' 


5'^        Northward  over  the  "  Circat  Ice" 


Ahng-nah'-vali 

*  *  Ahn^-ii()-(lin_!i'-\vali 

Ahng-o-di-gip'  soo 
Ahng-o-do-blah'  ho 
Ahng-o-do-blah'-ho 

*  *  Ahn-i-glii'-io 

Ah-ning-ah'-nah 
Ah-rin'-a-loo 
t  Ah-say'-oo 

Ah'-tcc-tah 

Ah-lunjj;'-i-nah 

Ah-tunu'-i-nah 

Ah-tunn'-i-nah 

Ali-w  (,H''-ah 

Ah-Wfr'-ah 

Ali-wcf-ali-^nod'-loo 

Ali-\vt'f-aun|4-()'-nali 

Ah-wee'-i-ah 
Ah-wee-i-king'-wah 

*  *  Ali-wok-toon'-i-ali 

Ah'-wo-tah 

Ah'-wo-tah 

Ah'-wo-tah 

Ah-wo-ting'-wah 

Ah-wo-tok'-suah 

Air-(/-nah 

A-kom-o-ding'-wah 

Ak'-pud-ik-su-ah'-ho 

Ak'-pud-ik-su-ah'-ho 

Al-li-ka-se'-ah 

Al-li-ka-sing'-wah 

Al-li-ka-sing'-\vah 

An-nah'-noo 

*  *  An-now'-gwe 

An-no\v'-g\ve 

An-now'-kah 

As-o-pung'-wah 


As'-f 


shoo 


At-took'-soo 
At-Look-sung'-wah 

E-ging'-wah 
E-ging'-wah 


*  *  l'Miing'-\vah 

E  ling'-wah 
E-meen'-ah 

*  *  E-meen  -ah 

E-mu-ah'-ho 
E-mu-ah'-ho 
E-mu  ah'-ho 
K'-s1k- 

E-took'-i-shoo 

E-took'-i-shoo 

f  K-tdo-slujk'-su-ah 

l'/-Vt'-l()() 

I'-gi-ah 

Ihl'-lie 

Ihl'-l:e 

Ik-kla\  -(/-slioo 
Ik-klay-o'-shoo 
Ik-kIav-(/-slioo 

Ik'-wah 

Ilk-lain'-nah 
llk-hiin'-nali 

*  *  Ilk'-loo 

Il-li-a-ting'-wah 

Il-li-a'-t(K) 

Il-li-a'-too 

*  *  In-acl-le'-ah 

In-ad-le'-ah 
Ing-op'-o-doo 

In-noo-ah'-ho 

*  *  In-noo-ah'-lio 

In-noo-gwe'-tah 
In-noo-gwe'-tah 

*  *  In-noo'-i-tah 

In-noo'-i-tah 

Innof)-ka-sc'-ah 

In'-noo-loo 

In'-noo-loo 

In-noo-lung'-wah 

In-n<)f)'-tah 

In-noo'-tali 

I-o-whit'-te 

Is-slic'-a-too 


*  * 


Census 


513 


NAMR 

N  A  M  B 

Is-shc'-a-too 

Kudlook'-too 

Kah-ra'-^hoo 

Mah-ho'-tcher 

Kali-shad'-dow 

*  *  Mah-so'  nah 

Kai-ko-tcher' 

Mah-so'-nah 

*  *  Kai-o-gwe'  too 

Mah-so'-nah 

Kai'-oh 

Mak-sing'-wah 

Kai-o-look'-too 

Mf'-gi-ah 

Kai-oo'-nah 

**  Mc-ii/-s(.<. 

Kai-op'-o-doo 

(  Li  miaiiu'd  infant) 

Kai  o'-shoo 

Mt.'-L;i|i  -soo 

Kai  o'-tah 

**  Mck'-k.M, 

Kai-o' tah 

Mck  -ki)() 

Kai-o'-tcher 

Me'-nie 

*  '"  Kai-ung'-wah 

t  Merk-to-shar' 

Kai'-we-kah 

Me'-uk 

Kai-we-ok'-su-ah 

Me'-uk 

Kai-we-ok'-su-ah 

Mok'-sah 

Kai-wing'-wah 

Mok'-sah 

Kar'-dah 

Mok'  sah 

Kee'-ri-kah 

M(jk-sann'-\vah 

Kes  shoo' 

*  *  M(.k-sanu'.u;ih 

Kes-shoo' 

Mok-sani^'-uah 

Kes-shoo' 

**  M. )n'- nit- 

Kes-shoo' 

Mo  ii'-nie 

K  lav'- 00 

Mon'-nic 

Klay'-oo 

Mon'-u-nH'-mia 

Klay-ung'-wah 

Muk'-tah 

Klip-e-sok'-su-ah 

My-ah 

Klip-e-sok'-su-ah 

*  *  Klip-e-sok'-su-ah 

*  *  \ah-\vali'-nah 

*  *  Klip-e-soon'-ah 

Ne-ling'  wah 

Ko'ko 

Nfl-le'-kah 

t  Ko-mon-ah'-pik 

Ncl-li-ka-tc'-ah 

Koo-che-gwe -tah 

Nct'-too 

Kood-loo-tin'-ah 

Ne\v-i-kee'-nah 

Kood-loo-tin'-ah 

New-i-kinsi'-wah 

Kood-loo  tin'-ah 

New-i-kinu,  -wah 

Koo'-lee 

*  *  Ne\v-i-k;'-ah 

Koo-loo-ting'-wah 

Ne\v-i-ok'-su-ah 

Kow-oo'-nah 

Nip-sang'-wah 

Kud'-lah 

Nook'-tah 

Kud'-lah 

Now-ding'-wah 

VOL.    I.— 33. 


514         Nortlnvarcl  over  the  "Circat  Ice 


Now-e-het'  choo 

Nt)\V-L'-()^'-lc 

No\v-e-()^'-le 
Nup'  sah 

Oh'tah 
Ok'klo 
Ok'klo 

()k-ki)-lin,n'-\vah 

Ok-pud-ding'-wah 
Ok  pud-ding'-wah 
t  <  )k-iiU(i-i-ah'-|)c 
*  *  Om-ino'-ncl-li 
Ong'-na-gloo 
Ong'-na-gloo 
Oo  bloo'  iah 
Oo-bloo-iah 
Oo'-gwe 
f)o'-msih 
Oong'-wah 
Oo'  qui  ah 

( )o-slic-a'-t()o 
Oo-toon'-i-ah 
Oo-toon  i-ok'-su-ah 

Pn(l-luiii;'-Wcih 

Pan'-ik-pah 

Pew-ah'-tew 

Poad-loo'-nah 

Poad-loo'-nah 

Poad-loo'-nah 

Poob'lah 

Poob'-lah 

Poo'-too 


*  * 


«  * 


*  * 


Si^'-w.ih 
Sed'lah 
Shak-up-soon -ah 

Sli()ii-i-king'-\vali 
Sig'-loo 

Siiu'-i-al\ 
Sin-ah'-ew 
Si-()()-(lt'-ka'-too 
Sip'-soo 

Sow'-nah 
Sow'-iiah 
Suk'-kun 

Suin-ii)iiig'-\vah 

Tah'-tah-rah 
Tah-u-i'-nah 

Tah-ving'-wah 

Tah'-win  nah 

Ted-i-ling'-wah 

Tel-e-ka  te'-ah 

Teri-cheer' 

Teri-ching'-wah 

Teri-ching'-wah 

Teri-ching'-wah 

To()k'-i-niali 

Took'-i-inali 

Took-i-ininn'-wah 

Tung'-we 

Tuim-uinu'-wali 

(Uniiamt'd  infant) 

Wt'c'-aune 
\\  cc  -aunjf 

Wee-ok'-kah 


R^SUMlf. 

Males,  140-  females,  113;  total,  253.  Between  August  31, 
1895,  and  August  31,  1897,  tlicre  were  29  deaths  ami  10  births, 
leaving  the  present  population  234. 


INDKX    UK    \OL.   I. 


Aborigines,  home  of  a   little  iriln;  of 
Antic.  443 

Academy,  Bay,   2f)2,  2^4,    .\i)},    4(1 ;  ; 
(ilacier,  34(^ 

Acailciny  of  Natural  Sciences  of  I'liil 
ailelpliia,  xxi,  xxii,  44,  J41,  24'),  422  ; 
lla^i  of,  35(1 

AtklaiKl,  Cape,  143,  468 

.\ilaiiis,   ('.  (  ,,  .\xi,  xxiii,  xxxii 

Adams,   Mdunt,  405 

.\irsiiaft^,   84 

AlexaiuKi,  (ape,  152,471) 

Ainericau    ( ii()^;rapliical   .Society,   xxi, 
wii,  x\\ .  x\\  i,  xx\  iii 

American    Museiiiii  (if    Nattiinl    His- 
tory, xxvii 

.Ammunition,  50 

Andersen,  Inspector,  4, 


3/ 


iiirtlulav. 


;  Mrs., 
S'^  ;  wcddinp. 


Aiini  Ncrsary 

8> 

Aiitiiropological  measurements,  174 
Arctic  Iiii.;hlanders,  (jS,  41^3 
Arveprins  Island,  7 
Aslilmrst,   liazer,  48,  8r 
Astriip,    Kivind,   4^),   5s,   88,  94,   g 


I'U. 

107 

i"),    in, 

113. 

120, 

12'- 

13'^ 

13.),    140,  145, 

14'). 

102, 

177. 

181. 

ii)i,  192,   195, 

'99. 

203, 

2<I5, 

2I(., 

221,   225,   23'>, 

23'">. 

2^)3 , 

282, 

2S4, 

288,    2(;0,    29'!, 

301, 

304. 

3"  >, 

3'  ">. 

32",  33".   .iiS, 

3-42. 

34'*, 

35+. 

.3'>4. 

380,  3SI,  38? 

;    rec 

.gni- 

tion  i>f  the  services  n.',  424 
Al.inekerdluk,  24,    27  ;   fossil-beds  of, 

418 
Athletic  games,  1 89 
Athol,  Cape,  454 
Auk,    little,  yo,     107  ;    breediny-place 

of,  452 
Aurora,  38.  14?,  149.  163.  175 


n 

Haflin,  (iisiovcry  of  (ireeiiland  by 
Mylnt  and,  44S,  451) 

itarden  IJay,  4()<i;  inh.ibilants  of,  257 

iJarin^;,  (  Ci  il,  xx\  ii 

Hay,  Academy,  202,  i'q,  403,  4''?; 
Harden,  257,  4'i<i;  llnwdoin,  249, 
394,  4'(>  ;  Disco.  5,  7,  8,  24.  57  ; 
Clranvdlc,  455  ;  Independence, 
349;  McCorniick.  r)(),  75,87,  144; 
surface  of,  213,  215,  249,  4'"); 
Melville,  4S,  bo,  (,i,  73  ;  Olrikr,, 
259.  20j,  40 r  ;  Kubertson,  412, 
470 

Hear,  polar,  20,  32.  bb.  b7,  195 

iielle  I>le.  Straits  of,  53.  55 

Hell  Rock,  450 

Herj.js,  5,  22,  23,  ;i  ,  (>},  C7,  8 ;,,  85. 
87.  88,  155  ;  fleet  of,  3(i  I  ;  frag- 
ments nf,  390  ;  scattered,  347 

I't-yer,  ( lnvernor,  do 

liiack  L;uillemot,  107 

H.)at  (amp,  147 

lioal  vnya^'e.  97 

liowdoin  iiay,  340,  394  V>'' '.  Cilacier, 
2'»4.  475 

llridL;nian,  II.  1...  xxxii 

llrintnn.  I  )r.,  xxiv 

iirooklyn  Institute,  wi 

Hriinnicli's  ^'uilleniot,  91 

Hryant,  lienryti.,  \x\i,  x\sii,4ii 

Iiuml)lc-liee,  347,  352 

Hurke.  I  )r.  Wni.,  4-1 

liuttertlies,  352 

C 

Cache,  74.  115  ;  blubber,  117  ;  ("amp, 

2S7 
Cairn,    122;    on    \avy    ClilT,     34^; 

record  in.  341 » 
Camp,  Hoat,  147  ;  Cache,  2-7  ;  Sep.^- 

ration,  296 


515 


5i6       Northward  over  the  "  (jreat  Ice" 


CaniiDii,  !  I.  W.,  xxxii 

Caiintm,  j.  CI. ,  xxxii 

Camping  on  the  ice-cap,  282 

Cape,  Ackland,  143,  4f)S  ;  Alexander, 
152,471  ;  Athol,454;  Clialon,  470  ; 
ClevelaiK.l.  82,  103,  114,  141,  I55, 
221,  249,  4^8;  ascent  of,  225  ; 
Farewell,  56;  Glacier,  345;  Parry, 
68,  457  ;  Robertson.  154,  470  ;  Sa- 
bine, 48,  82  ;  Tyrconnel,  (>8  ;  York, 
68,  1S7,  193,  235,  44''  ;  lueation  of, 
452 

Castle  Cliffs,  3g6,  466 

Catamaran,  15,  17,  i3 

("lialon,  Cape,  470 

Chaiiiberlin,  Prof.  T.  C,  475;  geo- 
r)yical  description  by,  441J 

Cliamberlin  CJlacier,  455,  475 

Channel,  Kolieson,  345 

C'liapnian,  I  )r. ,  xxv 

Childs  Glacier,  475 

Christinas  dinner,  183 

Cleveland,  Cape,  82,  103,  114,  141, 
155,  221,  24(),  4(18  ;  ascent  nf,  225 

Clifts,S4;  Castle,  390,  466;  Crimson, 
454  ;  Red,  75  ;  Sculptured,  of  Kar- 
nah,  392 

Climate  of  North  Greenland,  4<)0 

Clothing,  dogskin,  211;  drying  of, 
2(18;' fur,  159;  of  sunrise  party, 
199  ;  reindeer,  211 

Conical  Rock,  68 

Construction  of  house,  78 

Cook,  Dr.  V.  A.,  45,  65,  92,  97  ;  in- 
structions to,  100,  104,  107,  IU9, 
III.  1?),  133,  141-143,  145.  149. 
168,  174,  175,  181,  i()i,  192,  199, 
203,  209,  2itJ,  221,  284,  287,  288, 
296,  385  ;  recognition  of  the  serv- 
ices of,  423 

Coiridor,  80 

Crevasse.  10,  li,  16-18,  20,  306,  310; 
avoided,  360 

Crimson  CliiTs,  45  1 

Cubs,  ])olar-bear,  67 

Cumberland  Sound,  36 

D 

"  Daisy,"  153,  169 

Daly,  judge  Chas.  1'. ,  xxi,  xxiii,  xxv'i, 

xxxi.  xxxii 
Daly,  Mount,  465,  476 
Dahlgrcn,  Miss  I'lrica,  xxiii 
Danish  Greenland,  56 


spring  hunting 
texture  of,  230 


Eskimo,   184 


Davis  Strait,  3 

Day,  length  of  Arctic,  446 

Deer,  rein-,  i,  2,  88,  227  ;  four  killed. 
400;  home  of  the,  462;  hunting 
the,  231  ;  obtained,  394  ;  pasturage 
for,  392,  396,  455  ; 
of,  229 

Deerskins,  1 1 1,  159 

Devil's  Thund),  61 

Dexterity  Harbour,  28 

Diebitsch,  Kniil,  xx\  ii 

Diebitsch  Glacier,  475 

Dinner,  Christmas,  83 

Disco,  16 

Disco  15ay,  5,  7,  8,  24,  57 

Disco  Island,  2(),  6u 

Dixon,  Dr.,  xxv 

Dogs,  Eskimo.  153;  catching,  290; 
conquered,  3^9;  disease  of,  164; 
driven  over  ice-blink,  301  ;  eat  dog, 
303;  exhausted,  33(1  ;  fed  on  musk- 
oxen,  340;  in  a  crevasse,  312, 
killed,  362;  king  of  team,  311; 
loose,  290;  remaining,  37');  rest- 
less, 2S7  ;  skins  of,    164  ;  well-fed, 

352 
Dogskin  clothing,  211 
Drifts,  snow,  295 
Duck  Islands,  60 
Ducks,  eider,  5,  56,  61,  67,  107 


E 


34, 


7^c7^r/,-,  S.S.,  the,  3,  5,    27-31, 
36 

Egedesminde,  58 

Eider-ducks,  5,  56,  61,  67,  107 

Equipment,  49  ;  for  Inland-Ice  jour- 
ney, 277  ;  household,  84  ;  over- 
hauling, 357 

Eskimos,  22,  73,  91,  92,  109,  iii, 
116,  118,  138,  I5"-I52,  Ib4,  170. 
405  ;  amusements  of  the,  504  ;  an- 
cient igloos  of  the,  490  ;  animals 
hunted  by  the,  502  ;  appearance  of 
the,  484,  4S7  ;  arrival  of  the,  187,  238; 
astronomy  of  the,  494  '<  burial  cus- 
toms of  the,  506  ;  civilising  the,  508  ; 
clothing  of  the,  499,  S"'  ;  condition 
of  the,  483  ;  crew  of,  3S7  ;  customs 
of  the,  507  ;  diseases  of  the,  506  ; 
disposition  of  the,  492  ;  emigrations 
of  the,  4S8 ;  ethnological  photographs 
of,  174,  175;  family  of  the,  i2o; 
food  of   the,    480  ;  government   of 


Index 


;     North 
of.  422  ; 


the,  492  ;  {graves  of  the,  116,  iiS  ; 
habitations  of  the,  93,  114,  115. 
501  ;  increase  of  the,  490  ;  intelli- 
gence of  the,  483  ;  marriage  cus- 
toms of  the,  497  ;  morals  of  the, 
406;  number  of,  4v>,  499;  prop- 
erty of  the,  493  ;  rclif^ion  of  the, 
498;  settlements  of,  no,  iiS,  405; 
of  liarden  Hay,  257;  of  Ittiljloo, 
259;  of  Keate,  256;  of  Netiulumi, 
257  ;  of  Smith  Sound,  471)  ;  study 
of  the,  4S9  ;  surroundings  of  the, 
484  ;   visitors,    I94,  235 

Ethnological  photographs,  174,  175 

Exercise,  170,  177 

Expedition,      fireely's,      48 
Greenland,    44,   47  ;    end 
objects    of,   43S  ;   results  of,   43S  ; 
West  Greenhind,  45,  47,  4S,  82 

Ex])l()ration,  base  of  Northern,  444; 
North  Greenland,  73 


Faith,  the,  105 

Falcon,  (ireenland,  go,  352 

Fan  Glacier,  38S 

Farewell,  Cape,  56 

Fai(|uliar,  U.  S.  N.,  Com.  N.  II., 
xxii,  .wiii 

Farquhar  Glacier,  474 

Fencker,  Inspector,  420 

Firearms,  50 

Five-Glacier  \'al!ey,  149 

Fjord,  Kangendluarsarsoak,  20  ;  Ome- 
nak,  24,  ()0  :  I'akitsok,  7,  20  ;  Peter- 
niann,  30=;  ;   .Slierard-Osborne,   314, 


1 350. 


Tossu- 
396 


371  ;    St.     George's, 

katek,  22,  24 
Flowers,    5,  20,  69,  32: 
Fohn,  Arctic,  214 
Food  supply,  49 
FoDt-race,  isO 

Fossil-beds  of  Atanekerdluk,  418 
Fossils,  26 
Fox,    69,    109,    123,    140  ;     blue,    ho 

traps,  69,  107,  ir^,  115,  iM),  199 
Frederick,  6 

Frederick.shaah  Cdacier,  56 
Fur  clothing,  159 


Games,  athletic,  189 
Gibson,    Langdon,    45,    65,    93,    97  ; 
instructions  to,  98,  117,    120,   139. 


145,  14S,  149,  i?3,  iCiS,  i9(),  227, 
231,  236,  247,  24S,  2?7,  203,  284, 
28s,  2()0,  294,  29(1,  3S5,  411  ;  rec- 
ognition of  services  of,  424  ;  report 
of,  1 03- 1 14 
Glacier,  76,  iio,  122;  Academy,  34<j ; 
IJowdoin,  394,  475  ;  C'liand)erlin, 
455,  475  ;  ('hilds,  47P  ;  Diel)it>cli, 
475;  examination  of,  270;  han, 
388  ;  l'"ar(|uhar,  474  ;  Frcdericks- 
haab,  5(1  ;  Great  Kariak,  24  ;  Hang- 
ing, 12S,  137,  147;  Hart,  31J9  ; 
Ileilprin,  266,  3i|">,  474  ;  Hubbard, 
397,  466;  Humboldt,  130.  2(j2, 
295,  37"";  Hurlliut,  270;  Ittiblon, 
2()o,  47?;  Jacobsliavn,  10;  Jesup, 
475  ;  Leidy,  404,  475  ;  I  izard,  309  ; 
Melville,  39S,  474  ;  .Misumisu,  475  ; 
Moore,  455,  475;  of  the  Scarlet 
Heait,  14S  ;  Pctowik,  63,  454,  474  ; 
Sali>bury,  455,  47?  ;  Savage,  475  ; 
Sun,  13b,  147,  475  ;  'I'dssukatek, 
21,  23  ;    I'racy,  39S,  474  ;  Xerhoeff, 

415.  475 
Glacier  I'apL,  345 
(iodhaab,  50  ;  visit  to,  410 
CiiulhaMi,  ?,  27,  5(1,  57  ;  brief  sinp  .-it, 

419 
Granville  Ray,  455 
Graves,  I'lskimo,  lib,  iiS 
Great  Kariak  Glacier,  24 
(ireely's  hlxpedition,  48 
Greenland,    along  the  west   coast   of. 

443;  climate  of   North,  491';    li.in- 

i--!!,  50  ;    northern    coast    cif,    34  ;  , 
•  discovery  ol,  by    liylot   and   Haflin, 

44S 
Greenland  falcon,  90,  3  =  2 
Guillemots,    105,     122;    black,    107, 

lirunnich's,  (ji 
Gulf,    Ingletield,   68,    141,   25,4.    4'''5  ; 

circuit  of,  398  ;  jianorapia  of,  2O3 
Gulls,  5 


(^3,     10- 


97,     105 


H 


Habitation,    Eskimo, 

11^;  snow,  2^3 
Ilakiuxt     Island,    82, 

251/472 
Hall,  ('apt.,  Fxiiedition,  471 
Hanging  (ilacier,  128,  137,  147 
Harbour,  Dexterity,  28 
Hare,  Arctic,  69,  149;  traps,  115 
1  lart,  Gavin  W.,  xxiv 


114, 
121, 


5^^        Northward  over  the  "Great  Ice" 


Hart  (ilacier,  390 

Hayes,  Dr.  I.  I.,  479;  Expettition,  471 

Heilprin,    I'rof.     An^clo.    xxii,    xxiii, 

xxiv,  xxvi,  xxvii,  xxxii,  4S,    57,   58, 

60,   3S1,  408;     Expedition  of,  418; 

Cjlacier,   2()(),  ^cjS,  474 
HeiKliiL-k,    1  lans,  57 
Hensoii,   MattliL'w  A.,  4(),  >8,  (jn,  93, 

127,  i4r,    143,  230,  2S5,   287,  387; 

recognition  of  the  services  of,  424 
Herbert  Island,  OS,  97,  104,  112,  141, 

154.    236,    24(^    272,    470;    sledge 

trip  to,  238 
Holiday,  63,  1G2,  iSr  ;  celebration  of 

a,  227  ;    i)repaiations  for  a,  187 
Holt.  I'rof,    I.  E.,  48 
Hooper,   I'rof.  !•'.  \V.,  xxiii 
House,  cleaning  of,  ibi;;  construction 

ofi    7"^;    good-bye  to,  418  ;  location 

"f.  77  ;   I'olaris,  i  52 
House,  Red    C'iiff,    88,  loq,    134,   14'^, 

U)(),  214  ;    l)iiried,    i()2 ;    rejjaiiiiig, 

210 ;    return  to,  273,  385 
Hubhard  (Ihuier,  3()7,  4()6 
iIuglle^,   I  )r.  W  in.  ]•',.,  4S 
Huinl)ol(lt  Ciiacier.   13(1,  292,  295,  37S 
Hunting,  03 
Huril)ut  Cllacier,  270 

I 

Ice-blink,  ?.  7-10,  12,  14,  15,  2i,  2;, 
17I)  ;  driving  dogs  ■■'ver,  301 

Ice-cap.  5,  7,  S,  24,  27,  57,  62,  87, 
130,  ic)^,  204,  20(1  ;  ascending  the, 
292;  jlindiiiig  to,  210,  2(31  ;  experi- 
ence ov.  215;  thing  snow  ot,  54; 
i^ohucc;,  34'i  ;  luncli  upon,  233  ; 
party,  return  of,  138;  rain  upon, 
20!);  reconnaissance,  2,1  ;  return 
fioni,  212;  return  to,  352;  wel- 
con  e  of,  286  ;  wind-stonn  on,  289, 
294,  310 

Igloo,  i'3,  iid;  ancient,  41)0;  con- 
structicjti  of,  115;  night  in,  254; 
ruined  ^tone,  23(1;  snow,  201,  2O2 

Ikaresak  Sound,  7,  20 

Illartlek,  7 

Ini|)ediinenla  of  sunrise  party,  200 

Inile|)endence  Hay,  341) 

Ingletieid  Ciulf,  dS,  141,  2?4,  46^  ; 
circuit  of,  398  ;  observation^  at  head 
of,  26()  ;  panorama,  2()3 ;  sledge 
trip  around,  247 

Inland    Ice,    7,    10,    50,    60,    9;,    131), 


147,  238  ;  dinner,  360  ;  e{|uipiTient 
for,  277  ;  halcyon  days  u|)on,  370  ; 
party,  132,  133  ;  prisoners  ui)on, 
3(')3  ;  supplies,  Iransporiation  of, 
231) ;    trying  ex|)eriences  uj)on,  375 

Iron  rocks,  23S 

Islands,  472  ;  Arveprins,  7  ;  Disco, 
26,  f)()  ;  Duck,  (10;  llakluyt,  82, 
97,  105,  121,  251  ;  Herbert,  68,  (,7, 
'04,  112,  r4i,  154,  23b,  24(),  272, 
472  ;  Northuml)erlan(l,  69,  82.  97, 
108,  115,  154,  249,  251,  472  ;  I'lar- 
niigan,  264,  404  ;  Saunders,  235, 
472  ;   Wolstenholin,  68,  472 

Ittibloo  (JIacier,  260 

Ittibluo,  observations  at,  261; 

Ivigtut,  55 

J 

Jackinan,  ('apt.  Arthur,  3,  28,  31,  34 
Jackson,  {-"red  \\'.,  xwiii 
jacobshavn  (ilacier,  id 
JcMip,    .Morns    K,,  xwii,  xxviii,  xxxi, 

xxxii.  xxxiii 
JeMip  (dacier,  475 

K 

Kaniiks.  1 1  r,  117 

Kane,  I  )r.  E.  K.,  479 

Kangarsuk,  56 

!\angendliiais.Tr'<oak  T"j<>rd,  20 

Karnnli,  Sculpiured  (  lifls  uf,  46S 

Ka\ak,  7 

Keely,  Dr.  Robert,  4 ' 

Kekertak,  21,  2.',  2;,  27 

Kenealy,  Alex.  (J.,  4^,   58 

A7/,-,  >.S.,  the,  43,  48,  53-55,  57, 
58,  60,  61,  63,  65,  67,  68,  8i- 
S3,  S5,  38 1  ;  at  anchor,  408, 
homeward  voyage  I'f.  4^8  ;  steam- 
ing homeward,  41;);  steaming  to 
Robertson  Bay,  41  J 

1, 

La  C'liippc,  226 

Land,  disappe.irance  of.    292  ;    I'rud- 

hoc,  74 
Leidy,   I'rof.,  xxi,  xxiii,  xxiv 
Leidy  Cdacier,  404.  475 
i-ittle  auks,  90,   107  ;  breeding-place 

of,  452 
Little  Matterhorn,  265,  472 
Li/ard  Cllacier,  399 
Loomery,  97,  106-108,  114 


Jiulcx 


519 


1i 


M 


MaiRuard,  Chrislian,  7,  S,  n,  if),  18, 

20,  21 
Mail,  departure  of,  240 
Markham,  Sir  Clements,  4S4  ;   theory 

of,  485 
Mary  Minturn  River,  293 
J/<iry    JViiry,    the    uhale-buat,    150 

3S7 
McC'ook,  Dr. ,  xxiv 
McCormick  Hay,  69,  75,  87,  144,  213 

215.  249,  4f>9 
Mcasureinenti,,  anthropological    174 
Melville,    U.  S.   \.,    Chic:    Kngiieer 

(leorge  W.,  xxiii,  xxxii 
Melville  Hay,  48,  60,  61,  73  ;  Glacier, 

3uS,  474 
Mengel,  Levy  \V.,  48 
Meteor,  163 
Meteorological     Notes    of     Verhoefl, 

429  ;  resume  of,  437 
Meteorological  outfit,  51 
Middle  ice,  27 
Misumisu  (Jlacier,  475 
Moon,  155,  163,  J  76 
Moore,  Chas.  A.,  xxxi,  xxxii 
Moore  Glacier,  455,  475 
Morass,  Arctic,  251 
Mount,  Adams,  465  ;  Dalv,  465,  476  : 

Putnam,  465,  Wistar,  476 
Mountains,  S'.iithsot:,  2f>() 
Murchison  Sound,  (  j,  141,  251 
Musi<-calf,  339 

Musk-oxen,  337,  352  ;  feastii-r  on, 
342  ;  meat  of,  352  ;  shot,  33S ; 
traces  of,  322 

N 

Nansen,  F.,  xxi,  xxviii,  xxxiv,  xxxv 
Narwhal,  119  ;  hunting  the,  402 
National    Geographic    Society,    xxi, 

xxiii,  xxvii,  350 
Natives,  30 

Navy  Cliff,  cairn  on,  349 
Netiulumi.  460 
New-Year  reception,  iRS 
Night,  length  of  Arctic,  446 
Nolan,  Dr.,  xxv  i 

Northern  exploration,  base  of,  444  I 
Northern  land,  temperature  of,  330  | 
North-Greenland    Expedition,    1S91- 

92,  44,  47,  422  ;  objects   of,  438  ; 

results  of,  43S 


North-Greenland  exploration,  73 
Northumberlaiui    Island,   69,   82, 

108,  115,  154,  24.,.  -j^i,  472 
Noiirsoak,    lb  ;  i.enmsula    of,    f), 

24,  (;o 


97. 


( ) 


Object'     f  1891-92  Ex|)cdition,  438 
Observations,    9r  ;  at    head   of    Ingle- 

tield   Gulf,    2()f)  ;    at    lltibloo.    jbo  ; 

on    northern    coast    of    Greenland' 

34S  ;   on  the  ice-caj),  3()() 
(Udometers,  170 
Olriks  Hay,  259,  262,  461 
Gmenak  Fjord,  24,  do 
Outfit,  Arctic,  74  ;  meteorological,  51  ; 

photographic,  51  ;  surveying,  50 

H 

I'akitsok  Fjord,  7,  20 
Parhelion,  229 
I'anish,  Henry,  xxvii 
Hariy,  Cape,  ()3,  457 
I'eary,    Mrs.    Robert   F.,    xxv,    xxvi, 
xxvii,  xxxiv,  47,  57,   58,  6u,  65,  -7; 
82,   133,    141.    155.   225,    247,    253, 
266,  3,S5.  387,  396,  402 
Petermann  Fjord,  305  ;   Mountain,  G 
Petowik  (Jlacier,  6S,  454,  474 
Philadelphia     Academy    of      Natural 
Sciences,    xxi,   xxii,    44,   241,    ^49, 
422  ;  Hag  of,  350 
Photogr.iphic  outfit,  51 
Photographs,  ethnological,  174,  175 
Piblockto,  164,  195,  278 
I'ike,  Cajit.  Richard,  44,  48 
Polar  bears,  29,  32,  ()6,  67,  195 
Polaris  House,  152 
Pond,  Maj.  J.  B.,  xxiv 
Piott-us.  4S 
Prudhoe  Land,  74 
Ptarmigan,  26(,  ;   I-land,  264,  404 
Putnam,  Prof.  !• .  W.,  xxi,  xxii,  xxiii, 

xxiv 
Putnam,  Mount,  465 

R 

Rations,   6,   ()7  ;   Fourth-of-fuly,  351  ; 

of  ice-cap  i)arty,    129;  on   the'ice- 

cap,  2 84 
Raven,  90,   107 
Ravensiraig  Harbour,  28 
Red  clitfs,  :s 


520       Northward  over  the  "  Great  Ice  " 


Red  Cliff  House.  88,  109,  134,  14S, 
196,  214;  Imried,  162;  repairing, 
2if)  ;  return  to,  273,  385 

Reindeer,  49,  69,  128,  138,  144,  145, 
149.  229,  231.  392,  304,  396,  400; 
clothiiifr,  211;  liome  of  the,  462, 
pastura^'e  for,  465  ;  skins,  in,  159, 
i()o,  230  ;  sieeping-haj^'s,  22S 

Results  of  i89i-()2  Kxjiedition,  438 

Ritenl)eiik,  5,  7,  21,  27 

Roherlsoii  Bay,  470  ;  no  trace  of  Ver- 
lioeff  in,  428 

Robertson  C'a])e,  154,  470 

Ro'oeson  Channel,  345 

Ross,  Ca])t.  Jolm,  discovery  of  natives 
hy,  448 

Rusciieid)erger,  Dr.,  xxiv 

Ryder,  l.ieut.,  215 

S 

Sabine,  Cape,  48,  82 

Salisbury  Glacier,  4SS,  4.75 

Saunders  Island,  235 

Savage  (Hacier,  475 

Scarlet  Heart  (ilacier,  148 

Scoresliy  Sound,  215 

Sculptured  Cliffs,  392 

Seals,  67,  69,  144,  227,  238,  252,  272  ; 

fn)zeii,  254  ;  young,  262 
Seamstress,  172 

Sccky.  Capt.  II.  B.,  U.  S.  \.,  x.xii 
Settlements,     at    Barden     Bay,     267  ; 

Kskimo,    no,    nS  ;   Eskimo  snow, 

253  ;  inhabitants  of,  256  ;   Ittibloo. 

259  ;   Keati,  256  ;  Netiulumi,  257  ; 

]icrnianent,  256 
Sharp,  Dr.  Iienjaniin,  xviv,  48,  65 
Sherard-O  iborne   I'jord,  314,  371 
Ski,  II,  50 
Sledge,  150,  155  ;  coasting  on  a,  217  ; 

completion  of,  231  ;  construction  of, 

171  ;  construction  of  an  impromptu, 

303  :     covering    runners    of,     22S  ; 

digging  out,    364  ;   discarded,   374  ; 

Kskimo,       112  ;       reloshed,       357  ; 

smashed,   302  ;    three-runner,  302  ; 

tracks,  252 
Sledge  trips,    around   Inglefield  Culf, 

247  ;  first,  146  ;  on  the  return,     6()  ; 

preparations  for,  243  ;   to    Herbert 

Island,  238 
Sleeping-hags,    169,    171  ;    discarded, 

283  ;  of  reindeer  fur,  228 
Snuthson  Mountains,  266 


Smith  Sound,  S2 
Snow-bound,  203 
Snow-buntings,  5,  321,  352 
Snow,  buried  in,  2(14,  364  ;  disippear- 
ance  of,  212  ;  drifting  of,  202  ;  tirst, 
86 
-    Snow-shoes,  Indian,  50 
Snow-s(|ualls,  225 
Snow-storm,  1(12,  313 
Snow  village,  inhabitants  of,  254 
Snow  wail,  >5 

Souiul.  Cundicrland,  36;  Ikaresak,  7, 

20;      Murchison,     (kj.     iii,     251  ; 

Scoresby,  2^5;  Smith,  82,   Whale, 

(ji,  68,  254,  458  ;  upper  portion  of 

I        Whale,  264  ;   Wolstenholm,  456 

I    St.  Ccorge's  Fjord,  308 

St.  JoJm's,  38  ;   ill  ruins,  421 
I    Straits  of  Belle  Isle,  53,  55 
I    Summer,  Arctic,  75  ;  day,  94 
Sun,    '/'//,■,  \.   W,  xxii.  x.w,  xxxii 
Sun  Clacier,    130,  147,  473 
Sun,   heat   of  the,  361  ;  midnight,   5  ; 

return  of  the.  2i)() 
Sunlight,  absence  i.f,  160 
Sunrise  party,   191) 
Sujiplies,  trans])<irting,  287 
Su])i)oitnig  i)arty,  selecting  the.  296 
Surveying  outfit,  50 
Sydney,  C.   15.,  3,  52 


Tanning  deerskins,  160, 
Temperatuie,  14,  17,  64,94, 
141),   145,    162,    176,    177, 
189,    192,    193,   195,    2()r, 
210,   214-216,   224,   227, 
231,   233-235,   238,    2S7, 
371  ;    of   northern    land. 
Thorn,  Miss  Bh'x'be  A.,  xxv 
Tide  gauge.   168,  1S2 
Tide,  rise  and   fall  of, 

267 

Tossukatek  (Jlacier,  21,  22- 
Tracy,  Hon.  B.  F.,  xxii,  xx 
Tracy  Glacier,  398,  472 
Traps,   fox,   69,   107,    114, 

191) ;  hare,   115 
Tyrconncl,  Cape,  68 


.  123, 

129, 

186, 

IS7, 

202, 

20(), 

228, 

230, 

306, 

313. 

330 

11 

i(:9  ;  risii 


24 
lii,  X 


"5, 


ig  of, 

XV 

186. 


u 


Upernavik,  48,  60 


n 


iv 


Index 


521 


V 


Vegetation,  1 1 1 

Verhoeff,  John  M.,  xxii,  xxiv,  46,  q2, 
97.  104,  107,  109,  r2i,  129,  145, 
lOS,  i(j9,  214,  225,  38^,  411  ;  foot- 
prints of,  138;  glacier,  415,  475  ; 
instructions  to,  ro2  ;  left,  394  ;  lost, 
414  ;  Meteorological  Notes  of,  429  ; 
provisions  left  for,  417  ;  recognition 
of  the  services  of,  424  ;  search  for, 
412  ;  traces  of,  414 

\'ictoria  Inlet,  319 

\"isitors,  1S7 


—  - / 

Volcanic  dust,  193 


W 


Waigat,  the. 

60 

Wall,  snow, 

'''5 

Walrus,  6(), 

92,    104,    112,    114, 

142,  iijo  ; 

meat  of,  248,  256 

141, 


Water,  ojien,  252 

West-Cireenland    Kxpedition,   4;,   47, 

48.  82 
Whale-boats,  50,   Si,  S3,  97,  133,  144 
Whalers,  2S,  29 
Whale  Sound,  (n,  68,  254,  458  ;  upper 

portion  of,  2(14 
White  march,  starting  on  the,  285 
Whitney,   Hon.  Win.  i'.,  xxviii 
Wilson,   lion,   l^'raiitis,  xxxii 
Wind,  fierce,  226 

Wind-storm  on  ice-cap,  2Sg,  20-!    310 
W'istar,  (lui'l  I.   |.,  xxv,  xxxii 
Wistar,  Mount,  47(1 
Wol;,tenholni  Island,  CjS  ;  .Sound,  456 


York.   (ape.   6S,    |•^7,    193,235,448; 
location  of,  452 


